COVID-19 vaccination increases in wake of surges, mandates

At the start of August, 70% of U.S. adults had received at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccine, and vaccination rates were on the rise after falling significantly since April. The change in vaccination trajectory came as the delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread across the country, creating surges of COVID-19 in counties with low vaccination rates. Concurrently, major companies began requiring their employees to be vaccinated against the disease, and President Biden mandated regular COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated federal employees and contractors. (Bloomberg article, 8/2/21)