Biden Administration Announces Details of Two Major Vaccination Policies

In November, the Biden administration announced two major vaccinations policies that will impact the work force. The vaccination policies are pushed through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) require companies with more than 100 employees to make sure that they are fully vaccinated with either the two dose Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or with the one dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Unvaccinated employees would be required to have negative covid-19 tests at least weekly and to wear a mask while at work. Employers would be required to give workers paid time off to get vaccinated and paid sick leave if they had side effects from the vaccine. Once this mandate goes into effect, 84 million employees will be vaccinated. Additionally, OSHA would be able to punish employers who violated the rule with a fine of $13,653 per violation, to a maximum of $136,532. For those who are working in a corporate work environment, you should expect surveys and documentation of your vaccine.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the Department of Health and Human Services required workers at facilities that receive funding through Medicare and Medicaid to be fully vaccinated. Medicare covers people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ESRD). People who qualify for Medicaid belong in low-income families, qualified pregnant women and children, and individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Once this policy goes into effect, it will result in about 17 million people who work in 76, 000 nursing homes, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. These workers would have to be fully vaccinated. Unlike the OSHA policy, CMS requires all employees to be vaccinated unless they have a religious or medical exemption. They would not have the privilege to have weekly COVID-19 tests and wear masks. The thought to protect the patients who are highly susceptible to COVID-19 or may not be able to protect themselves.

These policies have stirred conflict during these unprecedented times. Many people believe their core rights and values have been stripped away from them. Others are happy the government is taking a stronger role in protecting the community. Remember, the government and authorities cannot physically force you to get vaccinated. A vaccine mandate applies if you have a business, work in corporate or are a health care professional. If you do not have or participate in these certain entities, the government cannot legally make you participate. They can stop you from entering the building or using their services if they choose to.

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