Dept. of Veterans Affairs says all medical facility employees will be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19, becoming the first federal agency to issue a mandate.
The Biden administration has been under increasing pressure to begin mandating the vaccinations where it can as the national rate of inoculations stalled and the number of new cases has risen in recent weeks.The move comes after a coalition ofto mandate vaccinations for all their workers as the highly transmissible delta variant spreads. In a letter, the groups called such a requirement the"logical fulfillment of the ethical commitment" to patients in their care.
Employees have eight weeks to become fully vaccinated if not already and will receive four hours of paid administrative leave after providing proof they have been vaccinated. "Whenever a Veteran or VA employee sets foot in a VA facility, they deserve to know that we have done everything in our power to protect them from COVID-19. With this mandate, we can once again make — and keep — that fundamental promise."
There have also been three Covid outbreaks at Veterans Affairs facilities, the most recent one occurring among unvaccinated employees and trainees at a law enforcement training center, the department said.
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