HHS will require health care workforce to be vaccinated against Covid-19

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/12/politics/hhs-vaccination-requirement-employees/index.html

HHS will require health care workforce to be vaccinated against Covid-19
By Jeremy Diamond and Devan Cole, CNN

Washington (CNN) Covid-19 vaccinations will be required for the more than 25,000 health care staff and volunteers working at the Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary Xavier Becerra announced Thursday.

"Staff at the Indian Health Service (IHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) who serve in federally-operated health care and clinical research facilities and interact with, or have the potential to come into contact with, patients will be required to receive the Covid-19 vaccine," Becerra said in a statement.

The secretary said the vaccination requirement will apply to "employees, contractors, trainees, and volunteers whose duties put them in contact or potential contact with patients at an HHS medical or clinical research facility."

An HHS official said the requirement is expected to go into effect by the end of September.

In addition, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced Thursday that members of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps must also be vaccinated. Those public health officials are included in the 25,000 figure, an HHS official said.