AAFA Applauds Biden Administration’s Emphasis on Vaccination

September 10, 2021 | WASHINGTON, D.C.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association welcomed President Joseph R. Biden’s announcement that vaccine mandates will go into effect for a large portion of the U.S. workforce to fight against the spread of COVID-19. 
 
"It’s long past time for all Americans to get vaccinated. Americans have the luxury of access to the vaccines that not all global citizens have. COVID-19 has proven a stubborn foe but vaccines have been proven to be the single most effective way to dramatically slow the spread and prevent serious illness and death," said Steve Lamar, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. "AAFA is proud to have been one of the first trade associations to meet 100 percent vaccination among our staff, and we are pleased to see the Administration accelerate efforts so that others can do the same.
 
“The only way to address the economic fallout from COVID-19 is to resolve the underlying health crisis that we have been dealing with for the past year-and-a-half. While the economy is doing better than it was last year, recent supply chain disruptions and factory closures due to the Delta variant have stymied our economic recovery. These steps will go a long way to ensure that we are getting vaccines in arms, and that we can protect our workforce from this disease that has already cost the world so much.
 
“More must also be done to share our excess vaccine supply with our international partners. COVID-19 is not a battle at the country-level, but one where the world is in this together.”
 
AAFA has advocated for the equitable distribution of vaccine supply to the U.S.’s international partners for several months. At the same time, AAFA has reached out the Biden administration to highlight the supply chain disruptions that are delaying the nation’s economic recovery.