Coronavirus: caregivers employed by the US federal government will have to be vaccinated
Sylvie Claire / August 13, 2021
Health workers employed by the U.S. federal government will be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19, the Department of Health announced Thursday in a statement.
This affects 25,000 patient-facing staff in health care facilities operated directly by the federal government, including staff of the Indian Health Service, which provides care to Native American tribal members nationwide.
Our primary goal is the health and safety of the American public, including our federal workforce. And vaccines are the best tool we have to protect people from Covid-19, prevent the spread of the Delta variant, and save lives, said Health Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Seasonal flu shots and other routine vaccines are already mandatory for most federally employed health care workers, the release also notes.
On Monday, the Pentagon announced that vaccination against Covid-19 would become mandatory by mid-September for all members of the U.S. armed forces, a decision strongly supported by Joe Biden.
In late July, Joe Biden asked the Army to consider how and when to add the Covid-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccines for troops.
The White House announced at the same time that millions of federal employees would either have to be vaccinated or comply with a series of requirements.