V.A. Now Requires Vaccination For Health Care Workers
The Department of Veterans Affairs has become the first major federal agency to require health care workers to get COVID-19 vaccines.
RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
WASHINGTON (AP) The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday became the first major federal agency to require health care workers to get COVID-19 vaccines, as the aggressive delta variant spreads across the nation and some communities report troubling increases in hospitalizations among unvaccinated people.
The VA’s move came on a day when nearly 60 leading medical and health care organizations issued a call for health care facilities to require their workers to get vaccinated. No federal law stands in the way of employers requiring vaccinations, but like mask mandates, the issue has been politicized in a society that’s divided on matters of public health.
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FILE PHOTO: Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough delivers remarks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 4, 2021. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo
Updated July 26, 2021 at 5:24 PM ET
Across the country, officials are rolling out new requirements for mandatory vaccines for public employees and the possibility of penalties if they fail to comply as cases of the delta variant of the coronavirus rise sharply and vaccination rates stall.
The announcements came in quick succession on Monday in the country s most populous city and state. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced all city workers would have to either get vaccinated or tested weekly for the virus. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a similar policy for state employees and health care workers.
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Samuel Corum / Getty Images
Updated July 26, 2021 at 5:24 PM ET
Across the country, officials are rolling out new requirements for mandatory vaccines for public employees and the possibility of penalties if they fail to comply as cases of the delta variant of the coronavirus rise sharply and vaccination rates stall.
The announcements came in quick succession on Monday in the country s most populous city and state. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced all city workers would have to either get vaccinated or tested weekly for the virus. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a similar policy for state employees and health care workers.
VA requires COVID-19 vaccination for health care workers Photo: AP. FILE - In this March 4, 2021 file photo, Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington. The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday became the first major federal agency to require health care workers to get COVID-19 vaccines. The decision comes as the aggressive delta variant spreads and some communities report troubling increases in hospitalizations among unvaccinated people. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Created: July 26, 2021 01:56 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday became the first major federal agency to require health care workers to get COVID-19 vaccines, as the aggressive delta variant spreads across the nation and some communities report troubling increases in hospitalizations among unvaccinated people.