The resurgence of COVID-19 this summer and the national debate over vaccination requirements have created a tense situation for U.S. first responders, who are dying in greater numbers but backtracking on mandates.
It is a marked contrast from the beginning of the vaccine launch, when priority was given to the first interventions to make shots.
The warrants affect tens of thousands of police officers, firefighters and other front-line people across the country, many of whom reject the vaccine. This is happening despite the consequences of warrants, ranging from weekly testing to suspension to termination, even though the virus is now the leading cause of law enforcement deaths in the United States.
According to the Official Down Memorial Page, it is known that 132 members of law enforcement agencies died of COVID-19 in 2021. In Florida alone last month, six law enforcement personnel were killed over a period of ten days.
Despite the deaths, police officers and first responders are among those most hesitant to get the vaccine and their cases continue to grow. No national statistics show the vaccination rate for the entire U.S. first aid population, but police and fire departments across the country indicate figures well below the national rate of 74% of adults who have had at least one dose.