Biden’s HHS secretary: It’s ‘absolutely my business’ to know which Americans have been vaccinated

Joe Biden’s head of Health and Human Services said Thursday that it is ‘absolutely’ the government’s business to know Americans’ vaccination status as the administration launches a new door-knocking initiative to push the coronavirus vaccine.

Xavier Becerra reasoned to CNN: ‘The federal government has spent trillions of dollars to try and keep Americans alive during this pandemic.’

‘So it is absolutely the government’s business, it is taxpayers’ business, if we have to continue to spend money to try and keep people from contracting COVID,’ he added.

The HHS secretary said Biden’s government wants to ‘give people the sense that they have the freedom to choose’ to get the vaccine and decrease their chances of falling fatal to the disease.

‘We hope that they choose to live,’ Becerra said.

The most recent comments could spark more criticism from anti-vaxxers and conservatives who have questioned whether ‘vaccine passports’ would be required for Americans to show proof of vaccination status to engage in normal-day activities – like grocery shopping or attending concerts.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said Wednesday that Americans who don’t have a COVID vaccine are making a ‘political statement’ and need to ‘get over it.’

Becerra deflected when he was pressed on if the administration would push for requiring proof of vaccination. He said that should be left up to state and local governments – as well as private companies – on if they will require proof.

Biden’s White House has repeated that it will not enforce a federal-level ‘vaccine passport’. 

The comments come after President Joe Biden announced Tuesday a new ‘COVID-19 surge response teams’ initiative that would get people going door-to-door to talk to urge unvaccinated neighbors to get the jab

The president announced this week new ‘COVID-19 surge response teams’ that would serve the purpose of canvassing neighborhoods to promote the vaccine to those who have not yet gotten inoculated.

‘We need to go to community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, at all times, door to door, knocking on doors to get help with remaining people protected from the virus,’ Biden said during remarks from the White House on Tuesday.

Fauci clarified to MSNBC: ‘We’re not talking about the government knocking on your door. We’re talking about people who you can relate to in the community who you trust.’

Biden’s talking points have focused on those without access to the vaccine or who don’t know enough about it – but there is a high level of reluctance among southern and southwestern states among those who have plenty of access to the shot.

COVID cases are up in nearly half of U.S. states, a new analysis showed. The new Delta variant, which was first detected in India, is responsible for 26 per cent of these new cases. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC Wednesday (pictured) that not getting a vaccine is a ‘political statement’ and told unvaccinated Americans to ‘get over themselves’

The Delta variant is now the dominant strain in the U.S., making up 51.7% of cases. Some estimates suggest it could make up as many as 70% of new cases (above)

The U.S. also failed to hit Biden’s goals to get 70 per cent of adults at least partially vaccinated by Independence Day and 160 million Americans fully vaccinated, also by July 4.

Vaccination rates have seen a massive decrease as those who were motivated to get the jab, already got theirs as soon as they were eligible earlier this year.

‘Here we have a vaccine that’s highly, highly effective in preventing disease and certainly in preventing severe disease and hospitalization. It’s easy to get. It’s free and it’s readily available. So, you know, you’ve got to ask, what is the problem?’ Fauci questioned in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday.

‘Get over it. Get over this political statement,’ he recommended. ‘Just get over it and try and save the lives of yourself and your family.’