US to end COVID-19 vaccine mandates for federal workers
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Key takeaways:
- COVID-19 vaccine requirements for federal workers will end on May 11.
- The mandate, issued in 2021, covered nearly 80 million federal employees, including around 17 million health care workers.
The White House announced that it will end COVID-19 vaccine requirements for federal employees and international air travelers on May 11, the same day the public health and national emergencies for the pandemic are scheduled to end.
President Joe Biden, during a rise in cases driven by the delta variant, signed an executive order in September 2021 requiring all federal executive workers to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. The order covered nearly 80 million workers who either worked directly for government agencies or federal contractors.
HHS said it also will begin lifting COVID-19 vaccine mandates for health care workers at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals and other CMS-linked health care facilities — who numbered around 17 million people when the policy was announced in 2021 — and Head Start educators.
At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security said it will rescind Title 19 restrictions that required noncitizens at land borders and ferry terminals to be vaccinated.
The White House said its mandate increased vaccination among federal employees to 98% compliance.
As of April 26, more than 270 million people in the United States — around 81% of the — had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC.
COVID-19 deaths are down 95% and hospitalizations are down 91% since January 2021, the White House said.
“While vaccination remains one of the most important tools in advancing the health and safety of employees and promoting efficiency in workplaces, we are now in a different phase of our response when these measures are no longer necessary,” it said.
In a memorandum, CMS said it would “soon end the requirement that covered providers and suppliers establish policies and procedures for staff vaccination. CMS will share more details regarding ending this requirement at the anticipated end of the public health emergency.”
HHS recently announced the $1.1 billion HHS Bridge Access Program for COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments, a public-private partnership with pharmacies, local health centers and other public health infrastructure to keep vaccines and treatments free for uninsured people once the COVID-19 emergencies end and they are commercialized.
The White House also recently announced a $5 billion commitment to develop new COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, called Project Next Gen, also a public-private partnership. The project is patterned after Operation Warp Speed, the government’s SARS-CoV-2 vaccine accelerator.
“Our COVID-19 vaccine requirements bolstered vaccination across the nation, and our broader vaccination campaign has saved millions of lives,” the White House said. “In the coming days, further details related to ending these requirements will be provided.”
References:
- CMS. Guidance for the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. https://www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-23-13-all.pdf. Published May 1, 2023. Accessed May 2, 2023.
- DHS. DHS statement on the lifting of Title 19 requirements. https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/05/01/dhs-statement-lifting-title-19-requirements. Published May 1, 2023. Accessed May 2, 2023.
- The Biden-Harris Administration will end COVID-19 vaccination requirements for federal employees, contractors, international travelers, Head Start educators and CMS-certified facilities. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/01/the-biden-administration-will-end-covid-19-vaccination-requirements-for-federal-employees-contractors-international-travelers-head-start-educators-and-cms-certified-facilities/. Published May 1, 2023. Accessed May 2, 2023.
Perspective
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I think it is reasonable to end the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for federal workers because in the age of omicron — coupled with high levels of immunity in the population and the availability of antiviral drugs — the vaccines only provide short-lived transient protection against infection and have less value from that perspective.
Each employer, including the federal government, has to decide conditions of employment, and although COVID-19 vaccinations are incalculably valuable in preventing severe disease, some employers may not see ongoing value in having it as a condition of employment.
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