Department of Veterans Affairs becomes first federal agency to require staff be vaccinated against Covid

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NBC News  7/26/2021

Veterans Affairs becomes first federal agency to require some staff be vaccinated against Covid

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WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that all its medical facility employees will be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19, becoming the first federal agency to issue a mandate....

...The department said the mandate extends to all Veterans Affairs health care personnel who work in Veterans Health Administration facilities, visit VHA facilities or provide direct care to those VA services.

Employees have eight weeks to become fully vaccinated if not already and will receive four hours of paid administrative leave after providing proof they have been 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," Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said in a 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."...

VA Press Release

VA mandates COVID-19 vaccines among its medical employees including VHA facilities staff

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WASHINGTON — July 26 Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough announced he will make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for Title 38 VA health care personnel — including 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....

In recent weeks, VA has lost four employees to COVID-19 — all of whom were unvaccinated. At least three of those employees died because of the increasingly prevalent Delta variant. There has also been an outbreak among unvaccinated employees and trainees at a VA Law Enforcement Training Center, the third such outbreak during the pandemic.

All VA employees are eligible to be vaccinated at no personal expense at any of our facilities. Employees will also receive four hours of paid administrative leave after demonstrating they have been vaccinated. Information in these FAQs or clinician and Veteran videos has details about the vaccine, its safety and effectiveness.

The safety and wellbeing of our Veterans and personnel is paramount.