Nov. 23, 2021 — More than 90% of federal staff obtained a minimum of one COVID-19 vaccine dose by the Nov. 22 deadline that President Joe Biden introduced this fall.
The majority of these staff are absolutely vaccinated, and one other 5% are in search of or have already got an exception or an extension. That means 95% of the three.5 million federal staff who have been coated by the vaccine mandate have complied by the Monday deadline.
“We are successfully implementing vaccination requirements for the largest workforce in the United States with federal employees in every part of the nation and around the world,” Jeff Zients, the White House coordinator for COVID-19 response efforts, mentioned during a news briefing Monday.
Officials mentioned the vaccination fee, which incorporates civilian and army personnel, exhibits the federal government gained’t see disruptions this vacation season. At the identical time, it’s unclear how the estimated 350,000 unvaccinated staff may have an effect on authorities operations, in accordance to ABC News.
The vaccination fee varies by company and placement. For occasion, the White House employees is estimated to be 99% vaccinated, ABC News reported. Vaccine hesitancy is predicted to be greater amongst border patrol models and federal jail staff.
Now companies will start a counseling course of to encourage staff to get a shot, Zients mentioned. Leaders have been given leeway to determine the subsequent steps.
“To be clear, the goal of vaccination requirements is to protect workers, not to punish them,” Zients mentioned. “So tonight’s deadline is not an endpoint or a cliff. We continue to see more and more federal employees getting their shots.”
The White House Office of Management and Budget is predicted to launch extra particulars Wednesday, together with a breakdown of vaccination charges by company.
Numerous companies have excessive compliance charges, Zients mentioned Monday, that means staff have both obtained a shot or filed for an exemption or extension. That contains 93% of the Transportation Security Administration, 98% of the Internal Revenue Service, 99% of the Federal Aviation Administration, 99% of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and 98% of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The Biden administration has additionally required staff of presidency contractors to be vaccinated by Jan. 4. Private employers with 100 or extra staff have been ordered to make sure their staff are vaccinated by then or face weekly testing, although a federal appeals courtroom has put the vaccine requirement on maintain for now.
“Looking at the federal workforce vaccination data makes one thing obvious: Vaccination requirements work,” Zients mentioned. “They encourage more people to get vaccinated.”
