Returning to Work – The Choice Non-Vaccinated Employees are Facing
Raleigh, NC — With the expanding reach of the Delta variant, discussion of booster shots, and increase in overall infections, employers are pushing for vaccination. The current national vaccination rate is 50.3% with over 165 million Americans fully vaccinated.(1) Employers are taking note of expanding vaccine access and more and more companies are bringing their employees back to the office. While vaccination rates are steadily increasing, non-vaccinated individuals may be facing new requirements. According to the CDC, depending on state and local regulations, employers may be able to mandate vaccination for individuals returning to the workplace:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not mandate vaccination. However, whether a state, local government or employer, for example, may require or mandate COVID-19 vaccination is a matter of state or other applicable law. (2)
As employers have more control over vaccination requirements in the workplace, non-vaccinated individuals will be facing a tough decision to either not go back to work or receive the shot.
Government Push for Vaccination
Over the last year, the government has set increasingly stringent goals for vaccine production and deployment in an effort to raise the overall vaccination rate. Recently, President Biden has instituted strict vaccination requirements for federal workers. In response, the Associated Press noted that this may mean sweeping change for the large number of Americans employed by the government:
The federal government directly employs about 4 million people, but Biden’s action could affect many more when federal contractors are factored in. New York University professor of public service Paul Light estimates there are nearly 7 million more employees who could potentially be included, combining those who work for companies that contract with the government and those working under federal grants. (2)
As the government further pushes for vaccination, we can expect state regulations and employers to follow suit. Those employees who remain unvaccinated may soon be forced to make a choice about their vaccination status.
Clinical Research – Get Vaccinated and Get Involved!
If you, or someone you know, is ready to move forward with vaccination, consider a clinical research study at Wake Research. Participants can receive investigational vaccination while getting paid to do so. Qualified individuals will receive study-related medical exams and vaccination at no cost. They will also be compensated for time and travel.
Join the fight against COVID-19, get vaccinated today. For a list of studies that are now enrolling you can visit our studies page here.
Citations
- Alexandra Jaffe, R. A.-zaldivar. (2021, July 30). Biden orders tough new vaccination rules for federal workers. AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-joe-biden-business-health-travel-a1670ffa08f1f2eab42c675d99f1d9ad.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Workplace vaccination program. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/essentialworker/workplace-vaccination-program.html.
- Ritchie, H., Ortiz-Ospina, E., Beltekian, D., Mathieu, E., Hasell, J., Macdonald, B., Giattino, C., Appel, C., Rodés-Guirao, L., & Roser, M. (2020, March 5). Coronavirus (covid-19) VACCINATIONS – statistics and research. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations?country=OWID_WRL.