The Biden administration will end COVID-19 vaccine requirements for employees of CMS-certified healthcare facilities.
A date for the reversal of the requirement for healthcare facilities was not specified in a May 1 news release from the White House, which noted that HHS "will start the process" to end the vaccine requirement with details made available in coming days.
The administration will drop COVID-19 vaccine requirements for federal employees and contractors and international air travelers May 11 — the same day the COVID-19 public health emergency expires.
"While vaccination remains one of the most important tools in advancing the health and safety of employees and promoting the efficiency of workplaces, we are now in a different phase of our response when these measures are no longer necessary," the White House said in the release.
HHS announced in November 2021 that healthcare facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding must ensure that staff are vaccinated against COVID–19, save for medical or religious exemptions.
The mandate saw its fair share of controversy and challenge, with a number of states fighting the rule and a case brought by 10 states against it reaching the Supreme Court. More than a dozen states continued to petition against the rule even after the high court declined to consider the challenge.