45% of Republicans support a universal vaccine mandate, as do a strong majority of Americans, a new poll shows

• 45% of Republicans support a universal vaccine mandate, a new poll found.
• Comparatively, 84% of Democrats support a universal mandate
• A majority of Americans (64%) also supported such a mandate.

More than four-in-10 Republicans (45%) support a universal COVID-19 vaccine mandate, according to a new survey conducted by The COVID States Project.

The survey also found that a strong majority of Americans (64%) would support a universal vaccine mandate across the US. Most Americans (70%) supported a vaccine requirement for getting on a plane, as well as requiring one for allowing children to go back to school (61%), and mandating one for college students to go back to university (66%).

Republicans were the only subgroup in which a majority did not support a universal mandate. Comparatively, 84% of Democrats support a universal mandate, the poll showed.

The survey of 20,669 people was conducted across all 50 states and Washington, DC, from June 9 to July 7.

Polling has consistently shown that Republican voters are among the most hesitant Americans when it comes to getting vaccinated. Meanwhile, GOP politicians in Washington continue to push misinformation on vaccines, as they rail against mask mandates and other restrictions. But a number of GOP governors, as well as some prominent Republicans in Washington like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have recently ramped up efforts to urge people to get vaccinated - breaking from the vaccine skeptics in their party.

A universal mandate has not been proposed by leaders at the federal or state level, but there have been more specific requirements issued at various levels. But the Biden administration on Thursday did issue new rules for federal workers attest to their vaccination status or submit to testing and other measures. The Pentagon said members of the military would be subject to the same protocols.

Though the US appeared to be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as vaccinations ramped up, the rate of vaccinations has plateaued across the county and cases have spiked in recent weeks due to the extraordinarily contagious Delta variant. The rise in cases has been driven by unvaccinated people, according to public health experts. This is prompting a new conversation about vaccine incentives.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new mask guidance this week amid concerns over the Delta variant, recommending that everyone - including vaccinated people - wear masks in public, indoor settings in areas of substantial and high transmission.

The CDC on Friday issued a report that said vaccinated people with breakthrough cases of the Delta variant may spread the virus to others as easily as unvaccinated people. The agency said the "concerning" finding "was a pivotal discovery leading to CDC's updated mask recommendation." But breakthrough cases are still thought to be rare, and the vaccine has shown to be highly effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

"Vaccinated and unvaccinated people infected with delta have higher viral loads, meaning more virus in their body, than with previous variants," said White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday. "High viral loads mean you are more likely to spread it, so in the rare occasions that vaccinated people get delta in a breakthrough infection, they may be contagious, and this is what we heard from CDC this week."