The Supreme Court Is About to Decide America’s Pandemic Future
The fate of the coronavirus pandemic in America and the prospect of a return to something resembling normal life are on the line Friday, when the United States Supreme Court will hear challenges to President Biden’s two signature vaccine mandates.
It’s a proceeding that may prove the most consequential day for American public health in a century. And the potential for fresh pandemic disaster is real—and worse than you think.
It was 1905 when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a smallpox vaccination mandate. Ever since, health officials in America have exercised extraordinary powers. Think food safety, sanitary inspections, and childhood vaccinations. During the coronavirus pandemic, mayors even locked down entire cities.