Joe Biden expands COVID-19 vaccine mandate to HHS employees

US President Joe Biden and his administration have been hesitant to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations and, instead, ramping up engagement and outreach through public figures and incentives. Following a vaccine mandate in the Veterans’ Affairs, the Biden administration is expanding the mandate to include employees in another government agency.

The Biden administration announced this week that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate will be in place for employees of Health & Human Services, especially those who may come in contact with COVID-19 patients. This will add to the list of federal employees who will be required to be inoculated against the coronavirus. The HHS currently has 25,000 employees and includes the National Institutes for Health, the Public Health Services Commissioned Corp., and the Indian Health Services.

“As President Biden has said, we are looking at every way we can to increase vaccinations to keep more people safe, and requiring our HHS health care workforce to get vaccinated will protect our federal workers, as well as the patients and people they serve,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a statement.

The mandate for the HHS follows the previous announcement of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees in Veterans Affairs. The Defense Department has also announced this week that it would require those in the military to get vaccinated by mid-September. All federal workers will be required to get inoculated and show proof or be subject to weekly testing and social distancing.

The implementation of vaccine mandates by the Biden administration follows the rising number of COVID-19 cases, especially in areas with low vaccination rates. Biden has also been urging private companies to implement their own vaccine mandates.

This week marks a step closer to another achievement for Biden in his presidency as the Senate passed the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure proposal. The Biden administration pushed back against the reports showing concerns regarding inflation, especially at a time where the coronavirus remains rampant.

Biden cited the economic reports revealed in recent days, saying that the reports show that the economy in the country is on the way to recovering. However, Biden noted that American families still feel the impact of the increasing consumer prices, and as a response, he announced measures that may “ease the burden” on families in the meantime.