Guidance: COVID-19 Vaccine and Employer Mandates
November 25, 2020
Overview
With news that at least two COVID-19 vaccines may soon be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, public and private employers across the U.S. are considering the potential for vaccine requirements for their workforces, especially among health care workers. This resource examines the likelihood of employer vaccine mandates.
On November 20, 2020, Pfizer and German partner BioNTech submitted an emergency use authorization (EUA) application to the FDA for a COVID-19 vaccine, which has demonstrated upwards of 90 percent efficacy in trials. Additional EUA applications for other vaccine candidates are also anticipated. While FDA conducts its review, public and private employers across the U.S. are considering the potential for issuing vaccine mandates applied to their workforces, especially among health care workers (HCWs). This guidance addresses employer-mandated vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing key legal and factual updates for public health officials and employers.
