The latest With coronavirus cases on the rise in areas across the United States and vaccines now available for adults and children ages 5 and older, many families are at odds on whether to get immunized. Post reporter Peter Jamison tells the story of one such family in West Virginia, where a vaccinated mother fled from her own home because the adult daughter she lived with refused to get the shots to protect against the coronavirus. The father, who was vaccinated, stayed behind. And when he died — presumably of a heart attack — some in their family blamed the vaccines. Under orders from the Oklahoma governor, the state's National Guard has defied a Pentagon policy mandating that all service members get the coronavirus vaccine, allowing personnel to decline immunization without fear of retribution. Currently, it appears that Guard members can do so but would be required to get the shots if they were activated on federal orders, such as an overseas deployment. The move may pave the way for other Republican-led states that are challenging mandates to institute similar measures. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has called a special legislative session dubbed "Keep Florida Free" to consider four bills aimed at blocking employer-issued coronavirus vaccine mandates. The bills would increase penalties for local governments, public and private businesses and others that require vaccination – or masks in schools. If passed, fines for such violations would increase from the current $5,000 to $10,000 for small businesses and $50,000 for businesses with more than 100 employees. Across the Atlantic, Austria — which is seeing a surge in covid-19 infections and hospitalizations — has ordered millions of unvaccinated people into lockdown. The country, which is among the least vaccinated in the European Union, recently reported more than 13,000 new cases. Now, unvaccinated adults and children ages 12 and older may leave home only for essential reasons such as work, doctor visits or grocery store runs. In Lebanon, nearly 40 percent of doctors and 30 percent of nurses have left the country since 2019 — straining a nation once known for turning out some of the best health-care workers in the Middle East. Amid the ongoing pandemic, the head of Lebanon's Order of Physicians said most recent medical school graduates are seeking employment abroad. The reason, it seems, is multifaceted. But, for many, the breaking point was the devastating explosion that killed more than 200 people in Beirut in 2020. Other important news Three snow leopards in a Nebraska zoo died of complications from covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, illustrating that even animals are at risk. Despite President Biden's vaccine mandate, roughly 4,000 U.S. Border Patrol agents and employees — or about 20 percent — have yet to roll up their sleeves. What some companies are doing when the pandemic breaks the global supply chain: Rewrite the production playbook. | 
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