HHS Requires Vaccination of its Healthcare Workforce

On August 12, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it will require more than 25,000 members of its healthcare workforce to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Citing the heightened transmissibility of the Delta variant, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that “vaccines are the best tool we have to protect people from COVID-19, prevent the spread of the Delta variant, and save lives.” The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense have also recently taken steps to mandate vaccinations among federal employees and service members.