A Lynchburg salon responded to President Joe Biden’s call to action for stepping up vaccine requirements, by strongly recommending vaccinations for all employees and students, unless they have health exemptions.

Barbara Mays owns Anointed Hands Beauty Salon on Main Street. Now that Pfizer is approved, she’s strongly encouraging vaccination.

“I do support the Pfizer vaccine, and now I say, ‘If you can, get it,'” said Mays.

“When you don’t have the shot you’re just spreading it, is how I feel, so I feel safer,” Dajha Franklin, a student at Anointed Salon, said.

She agrees with urging vaccination for employees and other students because it makes her feel safer.

“It’s important to encourage it because you’re saving lives,” said Franklin.

Dr. Scott Spillmann with the Virginia Department of Health said Pfizer’s full approval from the FDA should give more companies the confidence to require employees to get vaccinated.

“I know that a lot of businesses have been not wanting to or not being able to require vaccination of employees until full FDA approval. So I think this opens the door for other businesses and organizations to require this,” said Dr. Spillmann.

He hopes this approval also encourages more folks to go out and get vaccinated, regardless of a mandate.

“I hope that this message goes out and gives people a lot more confidence in this vaccine and getting the vaccine, that could literally be a gamechanger,” Dr. Spillmann said.

Dr. Spillmann said 200 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been administered in the U.S. In Virginia, nearly 5.5 million people have received this shot, and he hopes that number will continue to rise now that Pfizer has FDA approval.