âWeâre mandating vaccines for Title 38 employees because itâs the best way to keep Veterans safe, especially as the Delta variant spreads across the country,â McDonough said. âWhenever a Veteran or VA employee sets foot in a VA facility, they deserve to know that we have done everything in our power to protect them from COVID-19. With this mandate, we can once again make â and keep â that fundamental promise.â Even before news broke about the CDCâs reversal, some state and local governments already had begun putting in place their own requirements. Californiaâs Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that all health care workers and state employees must show proof of vaccination or undergo weekly COVID tests.