An overwhelming number of staff have gotten vaccinated. But a month after the deadline, at least ten percent of a 380,000 health care workforce still haven’t.
President Joe Biden vowed this fall to make a sizable dent in the unvaccinated population by mandating that federal employees receive the Covid-19 vaccination.
One month after the first agency hit its deadline for workforce vaccination, it’s made major strides but tens of thousands of employees have yet to comply.
In late July, Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough initiated the federal government’s first mandate, one that ultimately required the department’s 380,000 health care workers to show proof of vaccination by Oct. 8 or face counseling and, then, termination. The department reported 70 percent initial compliance with the vaccine mandate. A week later, that figure was 80 percent, after more employees who already were vaccinated reported their status, a VA official told.
