Dr. Vivek Murthy defends Biden's vaccine mandate as 'necessary'
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U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy defended the actions of the Biden administration in a Sunday interview on ABC's "This Week" after announcing sweeping COVID-19 vaccine mandates for companies with 100 employees or more.
"The president and the administration wouldn't have put these requirements in place if they didn’t think that they were appropriate and necessary, and the administration is certainly prepared to defend them," Murthy told ABC News "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz.
Under federal rules released Thursday by the Biden administration that view COVID-19 as an occupational hazard, nearly 100 million U.S. workers will be required to have proof of the COVID-19 vaccine by Jan. 4, with some workers allowed to test weekly.
At least 26 states, including Kentucky, Oklahoma and West Virginia, have already filed lawsuits against the rule, arguing that the mandate is unconstitutional.
Multiple business groups have also pushed back against the announcement. The National Retail Federation called the rule "burdensome" on retailers as they enter the holiday shopping season.
This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
Dr. Vivek Murthy defends Biden's vaccine mandate as 'necessary' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
