More than 9 in 10 federal workers are vaccinated, with only a small percentage seeking exemptions [View all]

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

Ninety-two percent of federal employees and military personnel have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine while nearly 5 percent more have asked for exemptions on religious or medical grounds, the White House said Wednesday. Among civil servants, the vaccination percentages range from 86.1 percent at the Agriculture Department to 97.8 percent at the Agency for International Development.

Figures from the Office of Management and Budget form the most complete accounting to date of compliance with a requirement that federal employees be fully vaccinated as of Nov. 22. Deadlines for uniformed military personnel vary by service.Although the vaccination mandates issued by President Biden in September defined “fully vaccinated” as at least two weeks beyond the sole or second shot, depending on the vaccine, the data released Wednesday characterize employees as vaccinated if they have received at least one dose.

Those requesting an exemption also are deemed in compliance with the mandate, as the government decides on their requests. The remaining 3 percent have not shown they are vaccinated, nor have they asked for an exemption. “This week’s deadline wasn’t an end point. For those employees who are not yet in compliance, agencies are beginning a period of education and counseling, followed by additional enforcement steps, consistent with guidance from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force and the Office of Personnel Management,” the announcement said.

The recommended sequence for those refusing vaccines — unless they have asked for an exemption — is a week of counseling about them and the potential career consequences of not complying with the mandate, then a possible unpaid suspension of under two weeks. Only after that would they face being fired. “At any point, if an employee gets their first shot or submits an exemption request, agencies will pause further enforcement to give the employee a reasonable amount of time to become fully vaccinated or to process the exemption request,” Wednesday’s announcement said.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gederal-workers-vaccines/2021/11/24/54b438f6-4c88-11ec-b73b-a00d6e559a6e_story.html

---

Full headline: More than 9 in 10 federal workers are vaccinated, with only a small percentage seeking exemptions, White House says