This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a regulation requiring COVID-19 vaccination of eligible staff at health care facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Facilities covered by this regulation must establish a policy ensuring all eligible staff have received the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine prior to providing any care, treatment, or other services by December 5, 2021, and employees must be vaccinated by January 4.
Additionally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a rule that companies with 100 or more employees must ensure their workers are either fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 4 or that they test negative at least once a week. The administration also said it will push back its forthcoming vaccine mandates for health care workers, and federal contractors until January 4. The delay follows pressure from business leaders concerned about the effect of vaccine mandates on the supply chain.