President Biden’s Vaccine Mandate

On September 9, 2021, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order requiring all Federal employees be vaccinated against Covid-19. The President publicly addressed the American people, asking, “What more is there to wait for, what more is there for you to see?” The President further stated, “We’ve made vaccinations free, safe and convenient.  We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and the refusal has cost all of us.”  Employees of contractors who do business with the federal government will also be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19 as follows: 

All employers with 100+ employees and contractors are required to ensure that their employees are fully vaccinated, or produce a weekly negative test result. 

Health care workers at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid hospitals and other health care settings will also be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19. This includes hospitals, home health agencies, ambulatory surgical settings, and dialysis facilities.  

This action builds on the vaccination requirements currently in place for nursing home staff, hospital staff, clinical staff, and volunteers at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Staff in Head Start Programs, Department of Defense Schools, and Bureau of Indian Education-Operated Schools will be required to be vaccinated.  Employees who fail to get the vaccine could be terminated.   

The U.S. Federal Department of Labor regulatory agency – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), will be establishing the rules, regulations and guidelines, which could take several months to implement. 

24 Republican state attorneys addressed a letter to the President vowing to take legal action against the Biden administration, stating that his plan is “disastrous and counterproductive.”  

The letter partially reads “Mr. President, your vaccination mandate represents not only a threat to individual liberty, but a public health disaster that will displace vulnerable workers and exacerbate a nationwide hospital staffing crisis, with severe consequences for all Americans.” 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to date, 55% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and 64% of the population has received at least one vaccine dose. The adult vaccination rate is 66.2%, and the vaccination rate for adults 65 and older is 83%.