You’re wrong. They did it through OSHA. I know. I was there. My company told us flat out if it became an OSHA mandate we would have to get the shot or resign. Had nothing to do with the States. That was Biden/Feds.
A lot of companies jumped on it immediately with enthusiasm. Others like ours were less eager, dragged their feet, and it ended up getting rescinded before we had to make that decision.
I don’t know if it is still in effect, but to work on Federal projects you had to get vaccinated. Even if you were working outside. I turned down two projects because of it.
I told a third client that I would be happy to do the work, but couldn’t do it because of the Federal rule. She called me back the following day - that rule was in effect for large contracts ($1 million?) - not the small stuff I do. (And had turned down 2! At least I got the third one and more.)
Same went for the State of Washington. I told one client that I couldn’t do some work because I wasn’t vaccinated. “Well - I won’t tell if you won’t tell.” (Litter started to pile up on the state highways during Covid. Even volunteer crews couldn’t get together in their work parties if they hadn’t been vaxxed.)
Early on I was really trying to look at the vaccines in a pro and con manner. Learning more and more about them there would be some pros, but also a lot of cons so I was tending towards the no side. Then when the state and federal mandates came I just said NO!