Gates was making the rounds around April of 2020 saying a vaccine would take at least 18 months and we couldn’t go back to normal until it was rolled out. This lends credence to your post, they wanted us so beleaguered most would accept the mandate.

Something else that’s weird is Biden and Harris spearheaded the anti-vax sentiment through their campaign. They swore up and down no one should trust Warp Speed vaccines. Then they complain when they reap what they sow.