President Joe Biden isn’t making Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for federal workers, instead he’s making it much more difficult for those who chose to remain unvaccinated. They will have to submit to frequent Covid-19 testing, wear masks and socially distance themselves in the office. “We all want our lives to get back to normal, and fully vaccinated workplaces will make that happen more quickly and more successfully,” Biden said last week. “We all know that in our gut: With incentives and mandates, we can make a huge difference and save a lot of lives.” This approach is what’s known as a “soft mandate,” explains Dorit Reiss, a law professor who specializes in vaccine policy at the University of California Hastings Law School in San Francisco. Given the size and scope of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, universities and employers are facing the question of whether to require vaccinations, as well as the ethics of mandating a vaccine that has received “emergency” authorization but is not yet fully approved by the FDA. As the Delta variant complicates the return to “normal,” many public and private institutions are adopting this two-tiered system separating the vaccinated from the unvaccinated. “There are consequences here,” says Reiss, “they're just less harsh than ‘get vaccinated or you're fired.’” 0:00 Start 0:34 What is President Biden's policy regarding vaccination mandates? 0:51 What are the differences between "soft" and "hard" mandates? 1:54 How safe are Covid-19 vaccines, and what does it mean for the FDA to approve vaccines for "emergency use only?" 2:48 What are the two exceptions for employers and schools under these mandates, and how should they be handled? 3:57 Does HIPAA protect me from providing my vaccination status? 4:32 How is this debate playing out in court rooms across the country? 5:56 Can and should children be vaccinated? 6:22 How many Americans have been vaccinated as of August 2021? 7:04 How can I better identify misinformation regarding Covid-19 vaccines, and how can I stay safe? Read the full profile on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katiejennings/2021/08/03/who-can-mandate-covid-19-vaccination/?sh=3d9ffeae53f2 Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1 Stay Connected Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes: http://forbes.com Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.