U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on Aug. 12 announced that the agency will require COVID-19 vaccinations for more than 25,000 members of its health care workforce.

Staff at the Indian Health Service and National Institutes of Health serving in federal health care and clinical research facilities who interact with, or have the potential to come into contact with, patients will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, announced that members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as part of medical readiness procedures to prepare for a potential deployment.

"Our number one goal is the health and safety of the American public, including our federal workforce. And vaccines are the best tool we have to protect people from COVID-19, prevent the spread of the Delta variant and save lives," Becerra says. "As President Biden has said, we have to do all we can to increase vaccinations to keep more people safe. Instructing our HHS health care workforce to get vaccinated will protect our federal workers and the patients and people they serve."

Read the full HHS news release. Access additional guidance, as well as vaccination resources for patients and clinicians on ACC's COVID-19 Hub.

Clinical Topics: COVID-19 Hub, Prevention

Keywords: COVID-19, Vaccines, United States Indian Health Service, United States Public Health Service, Delivery of Health Care, Health Workforce, National Institutes of Health (U.S.), ACC Advocacy, Vaccination, United States Dept. of Health and Human Services

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