BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — President Joe Biden's vaccine requirements aimed at beating the COVID-19 pandemic is gaining opposition and criticism.
Republican governors are hitting back, accusing the president of overreaching his authority over private businesses.
RELATED STORY: Biden lays out 6-pronged plan to combat COVID this fall
In a series of executive orders, the president has ordered all government employees and federal contractors to be vaccinated with no test opt-out.
A top official in the Buffalo-Niagara community sharing her observations from community members' resistance and/or urgency on the COVID-19 vaccine.
President and CEO of Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Dottie Gallagher, told 7ABC the president mandating the vaccine welcomes a sigh of relief from an employer's standpoint because it levels the playing field from one employer versus another.
However, she said much of the resistance is a result of many unanswered questions about the vaccine. She hopes the community increases efforts in outreach to make resistant employees feel safe.
Gallagher said, "What we are hearing is that people trust people they know. For example, on the east side of Buffalo a local reverend has gone out and gotten testimonials from people in her neighborhood that have had successful vaccines and they're going to be passing out literally cards door-to-door to literally help explain that the vaccines are safe and effective. Also, to answer questions. I think we are still doing work. This mandate doesn't solve that problem so we as a community and as a country that's work that still remains in front of us."
She said the mandate does not solve the problem, so we as a community should approach with some level of rationality and understanding.
RELATED STORY: Buffalo Niagara Partnership offering to help businesses hold vaccine clinics following mandate
