President Joe Biden called on employers to use a tax credit to provide paid time off to workers to get vaccinated and for businesses to do more to boost the inoculation effort as the U.S. seeks to get shots in more arms.
Biden said the U.S. will achieve its goal on Wednesday of giving 200 million vaccine shots in his first 100 days in office, while pivoting to a new phase of the campaign by urging businesses to make vaccination as accessible as possible.
Biden called on every employer in the U.S. to offer full pay to workers to get a shot, and touted an incentive included in his first Covid-19 aid package that provides tax credits for workers’ wages in companies with fewer than 500 employees.
“I’m calling on every employer—large and small, in every state—to give employees the time off they need to get vaccinated,” Biden said.
The measure was part of the aid package signed into law last month. The Internal Revenue Service is publishing details of the tax credit plan on Wednesday.
The Biden administration is shifting its public focus from increasing supplies of vaccines to persuading people to get shots. That’s taking place as available shots have exceeded demand in some places. The administration is concerned that it won’t be able to control the virus if a sizable part of the population fails to get vaccinated.
“The time is now to open up a new phase of this historic vaccination effort,” Biden said, noting that many hadn’t been eligible to get vaccinated until recently. “If you’ve been waiting for your turn, wait no longer.”
Biden urged people to get shots, saying the “vaccine can save your life,” along with those of friends, relatives and others. He said 90% of Americans can get shots within 5 miles of where they live.