Instead of THE GUBBMINT being evil by LOCKING EVERYTHING DOWN in some scary QUARANTINE ZONE or the like, imagine a "got to build up zombie bite immunity" response, or one with pseudoscientific treatments, or pretty much anything so 
can feel like things are back to normal while zombies are just a thing that continues happening.
Add your own ideas if you like. 
Did I misremember? I could have sworn he was shoveling shit for some new farming grift he had and completely escaped any and all consequences for his actions
Yea unless I'm remembering wrong he was basically chilling in Antarctica having made mad bank from his fake Phalanx™ "vaccine"
The pharma exec had a bunker in Antarctica he was living in. The guy shoveling shit was the VP or chief of staff or something for the administration that let the zombies get out of hand.
Oh yea that's right, I had the two confused, it's been a couple years since I read that book