HHS to Start Unwinding COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

HHS and DHS are starting the process of ending the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for CMS-certified healthcare facilities, as well as Head Start educators and certain noncitizens at the borders.

The announcement was part of a broader unwinding of mandates requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for federal employees, federal contractors, and international air travelers. The Biden Administration said in the announcement yesterday that mandates for full COVID-19 vaccination for these populations will end on May 11th, the same day the COVID-19 public health emergency is slated to expire.

HHS is expected to provide further details on unwinding the healthcare-specific COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the coming days.

Despite controversy around mandating COVID-19 vaccines for workers, the federal government achieved 98 percent compliance among its workforce, the White House said in a statement, meaning that percentage of federal workers received at least one dose of a vaccine or had a pending or approved exception or extension request filed by January 2022.

Vaccination rates among healthcare professionals are also high, with a February 2023 study finding over 94 percent of healthcare professionals had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or intended to receive a dose soon. A broader survey from the American Medical Association (AMA) also found that more than 96 percent of practicing physicians had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by June 2021.

The healthcare-specific vaccine mandate applies to about 10.3 million workers employed by 76,000 healthcare facilities, which include hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and nursing homes.

Several legal attempts have been made to rescind the mandate for healthcare workers. Ultimately, the Supreme Court approved the vaccination requirement in a 5 to 4 vote last January. The Court refused to hear a challenge of the case brought on by ten states later that year, with the majority agreeing healthcare workers in direct contact with patients to get vaccinated aligns with the medical profession’s mission and the mandate fits within HHS’ authority to impose conditions on federal funds.

However, the Supreme Court did strike down a broader mandate that required COVID-19 vaccines in the arms of all employees at large non-healthcare-related employers.

The White House credited COVID-19 vaccine requirements with keeping workers in critical workforces safe and saving millions of lives. However, times have changed, officials said.

“While vaccination remains one of the most important tools in advancing the health and safety of employees and promoting the efficiency of workplaces, we are now in a different phase of our response when these measures are no longer necessary,” the White House said in the statement.