President Joe Biden is pulling out all the stops to make it easier for people to get their COVID-19 vaccine, including a vaccine tax credit for companies giving workers paid time off to get their shot.
The president on Wednesday announced the paid leave option for businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 500 employees, covering time off needed for potential vaccine side effects.
The Biden administration also called on businesses to take additional steps to encourage vaccinations like "discounts for vaccinated individuals, product giveaways or brand rewards…point-of purchase promotions," among others.
"I really like the idea of the tax incentives to support employers," said Dr. Jonathan LaPook, CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent and Professor of Medicine at the NYU Langone Medical Center.
The tax credit, which covers up to $511 per day for up to 80 hours until the end of September, is included in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that Biden signed into law last month.
It applies to nearly half of all private sector employees, said White House officials.
"You've got to do it every possible way," Dr. LaPook told KCBS Radio's Jeff Bell and Patti Reising. "You have to have community leaders and faith leaders...(Dr. Anthony) Fauci, the President of the United States. If we're going to get this thing under control you have to get everybody vaccinated."
The tax credit rollout comes as inoculations are seeing a sharp decline, however, vaccination rates remain up from just a few weeks ago.
The U.S. is reporting an average of 3 million COVID-19 vaccinations per day over the past week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number was about 1.8 million at the beginning of March.
The administration expects to hit its goal of 200 million vaccinations in the president’s first 100 days in office by Thursday.
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