HHS to mandate vaccinations for more than 25,000 employees

The roughly 25,000 HHS employees will have until the end of September to be vaccinated, an HHS official said.

As the delta variant spreads nationwide, the Department of Health and Human Services will require vaccination from more than 25,000 of its employees that directly work with patients, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced Thursday. Going a step beyond the general guidelines for the federal workforce -- which is to get vaccinated or be required to wear a mask and do frequent testing -- the Department of Health and Human Services is mandating the vaccine for its employees who deal directly with patients. The Department of Veterans Affairs has called for the same policy for its 115,000 health care workers. Both agencies employ doctors or nurses that could be directly exposed to the virus at work, or directly expose vulnerable patients to it. The roughly 25,000 HHS employees will have until the end of September to be vaccinated, an HHS official said.