VA Mandates Experimental COVID-19 Vaccines for Staff

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis R. McDonough announced today he would make experimental COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for Title 38 VA health care personnel.

The VA confirmed this list of personnel includes but is not limited to physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, registered nurses, physician assistants, expanded-function dental auxiliaries, and chiropractors who work in Veterans Health Administration facilities, visit VHA facilities or provide direct care to those VA serves.

Each VA employee will have eight weeks to be fully vaccinated.

“We’re mandating vaccines for Title 38 employees because it’s the best way to keep Veterans safe, especially as the Delta variant spreads across the country,” McDonough stated in a press statement. 

“Whenever 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 — and keep — that fundamental promise.”

All VA employees are eligible to be vaccinated at no personal expense at any of our facilities. In addition, after demonstrating they have been vaccinated, employees will also receive four hours of paid administrative leave, said this press release.

Information in these FAQs or clinician and Veteran videos details COVID-19 vaccines and related safety and effectiveness.

The VA department’s mandate decision is supported by numerous medical organizations, including the American Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

As of July 26, 2021, the U.S. FDA has not Approved any COVID-19 Vaccine. These vaccines are available in the USA under Emergency Authorizations. Globally, there are an additional fifteen COVID-19 vaccines in use.

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