“The Department of Veterans Affairs has updated its employee vaccine guidelines to include new precautions for contractors who work with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), its health care and medical research network.”
“VA was the first agency to release a full-scale vaccine mandate for its workers in July 2021, which required all of its Title 38 healthcare workers — a category that includes directly employed physicians, dentists, podiatrists, orthodontists, anesthetists and physician assistants — to receive the COVID-19 vaccine within eight weeks. This was quickly followed by the Biden administration releasing a similar mandate for all federal employees.”
“VA Secretary Denis McDonough cited the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant alongside the increasing rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations and fatalities as the prime motivator for a vaccine mandate, a priority that is aligned with VA’s mission of providing veterans care and support for America’s public health as a whole.”
“Following these mandates for VA health care workers, the agency also updated its vaccine requirements to cover contractor employees effective Oct. 8. These employees fall under the greater category of health care personnel and include those who work in or travel to VHA locations with potential for exposure to patients or infectious materials. They also include contractor personnel providing home-based care to veterans and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.”
“Published as VHA Directive 1193, this announcement “replaces the July 2021 publication” by expanding the vaccine mandate to all health care personnel — whether directly employed or contractors — who work within the VHA’s broader care and maintenance infrastructure. This directive is currently scheduled to persist through August 2026, setting a minimum five-year timeframe for the vaccine mandate…” Read the full article here.
Source: What Contractors Need to Know About VA’s Vaccine Guidelines – By Adam Patterson, September 3, 2021. GovernmentCIO.
