President Biden plans to end COVID-19 vaccination requirements on May 11 for federal employees, contractors and international travelers who visit by air.
The cancellation of the requirements, which caused a firestorm and legal challenges earlier in the administration, will coincide with the official end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The administration cited progress in living with the virus, with death rates at their lowest levels since the pandemic began in early 2020.
It also pointed to widespread compliance among the federal workforce, with 98% of the workforce receiving at least one dose of a vaccine or securing an exemption as of January 2022.
“Our administration’s vaccination requirements helped ensure the safety of workers in critical workforces including those in the healthcare and education sectors, protecting themselves and the populations they serve, and strengthening their ability to provide services without disruptions to operations,” the administration said in a statement.
Mr. Biden kicked off the COVID-19 vaccine as a voluntary effort in 2021 but resorted to mandates after vaccine rates stalled and rates of disease skyrocketed in the face of new variants from overseas.
The decision to impose mandates was highly controversial. Objectors said they shouldn’t be required to choose between a pharmaceutical product and their livelihoods, and found the purposes confusing at times, given evidence the shots likely thwarted severe disease but weren’t good at blocking community transmission outright.
The mandates led to a series of lawsuits, and the Supreme Court struck down vaccine requirements on large private employers while keeping in place one for health workers.
Notably, the administration said the Department of Health and Human Services will eye ways to end vaccine rules on Head Start teachers, health care facilities and “certain noncitizens at the land border.”
The White House said more details about that effort would be provided in the coming days.
“Our COVID-19 vaccine requirements bolstered vaccination across the nation, and our broader vaccination campaign has saved millions of lives,” the administration said. “We have successfully marshaled a response to make historic investments in broadly accessible vaccines, tests, and treatments to help us combat COVID-19. 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.”
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.