How Birmingham leaders feel about Biden's vaccine mandate plan

The Biden administration’s plan to require large employers to either mandate the Covid-19 vaccine or require weekly testing on unvaccinated workers may be drawing the ire of several state officials, but it has the support of many influential Birmingham leaders.

That's one of the big takeaways from the latest Birmingham Power Poll, which surveys influential local leaders each month on key topics in the community.

The Birmingham Power Poll is not a scientific poll, but does offer a window into the perspectives of influential Birmingham community and business leaders.

More than 60% of respondents said they agreed with the White House’s pending requirement.

Plans for the vaccine mandate have support among Birmingham leaders even though less than 21% of respondents’ organizations were mandating the vaccine prior to the federal plan being announced.

The results also mark a departure from a prior Birmingham Power Poll in December, when only 32% of respondents said they thought employers should be allowed to require the vaccine.

The impact of the Delta variant is a potential factor in the support for the plan, as nearly 80% of respondents said the variant has had a negative effect on their organization.

While the variant hasn’t resulted in the type of lockdowns or social distancing measures that crippled businesses in 2020, it still had a notable effect on many industries – as offices pulled back on reopening plans and businesses once again delayed their return to travel, among other factors.

This month's Power Poll surveyed 127 members with a response rate of 37.8%.