Federal Government Ends Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement for Nursing Home, Other Health Workers

On Monday, the federal government announced that it will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for healthcare employees at the end of the day on May 11, the same day that the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.

“HHS and DHS announced today that they will start the process to end their vaccination requirements for Head Start educators, CMS-certified healthcare facilities, and certain noncitizens at the land border,” the White House wrote. “In the coming days, further details related to ending these requirements will be provided.”

The vaccination requirement for healthcare workers was announced Nov. 5, 2021, and covered more than 17 million workers, including all who interacted with patients at more than 15,000 nursing homes.

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Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, said in a press release that the organization supports the Biden-Harris administrations’ decision.

“A continuation of the vaccine mandate is no longer needed. Our country is in a very different place now, as the public health emergency winds down, than in summer of

2021, when the mandate was initially proposed,” she said. “And, whether or not a mandate is in place, there is no question that COVID-19 vaccines are a safe and effective defense against the virus, which disproportionately impacts older adults and the people who care for them.”

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The Biden-Harris administration acknowledged that the government-led efforts led to nearly 270 million Americans receiving at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, and that COVID-19 deaths have declined by 95% and hospitalizations are down nearly 91% since the start of the pandemic.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Monday also issued new guidelines for nursing home surveyors.

“In light of these developments and comments received on the interim final rule, CMS will soon end the requirement that covered providers and suppliers establish policies and procedures for staff vaccination,” the agency stated. “CMS will share more details regarding ending this requirement at the anticipated end of the public health emergency. We continue to remind everyone that the strongest protection from COVID-19 is the vaccine. Therefore, CMS urges everyone to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccine.”

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