VA vaccine mandate expands to cover volunteers

The Department of Veteran Affairs has expanded its COVID-19 vaccine mandate cover volunteers in a letter from VA Secretary Denis McDonough on Thursday, 12 August 2021. The mandate went into effect on 13 August 2021.

Below is the text of the letter sent out by the VA Secretary.

We are expanding our COVID-19 vaccine mandate to include Hybrid Title 38, and Title 5 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care personnel—such as psychologists, pharmacists, social workers, nursing assistants, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, peer specialists, medical support assistants, engineers, housekeepers and other clinical, administrative and infrastructure support employees. This also includes VA volunteers and contractors. Effectively, this means that any Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employee, volunteer, or contractor who works in VHA facilities, visits VHA facilities, or provides direct care to those we serve will need to be vaccinated. Each employee will have 8 weeks to be fully vaccinated and will need to provide proof of vaccination to their local VHA Occupational Health Office.

We’re doing this for the same reason we mandated vaccines for Title 38 VHA employees last month: because it’s the best way to keep Veterans, caregivers, VA employees, volunteers and contractors safe.

We’ve already lost thousands of Veterans and hundreds of colleagues to this deadly disease, and now, the Delta variant is causing exponential increases in infections, hospitalizations and deaths once again. But you don’t have to listen to me about the dangers of the Delta variant—listen to the doctors. A doctor in Alabama told a harrowing story about the variant last month, saying that unvaccinated COVID-19 patients are begging her, right before they are put on a ventilator, for the vaccine. But at that point, all she can do is hold their hands and say, “I’m so sorry, but it’s too late.” Many of those patients die days later.

That’s how dangerous the Delta variant is, both for Veterans and VHA health care personnel. Fortunately, the vaccine provides strong protection against COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death—which is why all VHA health care personnel must be vaccinated.

As with last month’s mandate, I have discussed this decision with leaders at VHA, as well as leading health care experts—all of whom agreed that this is the best course of action to protect the Nation’s Veterans and their families. I’ve again notified our union partners. And, as I noted last month, mandates are supported by most national medical organizations—including the American Hospital Association, America’s Essential Hospitals, the American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, American College of Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, Association of American Medical Colleges and National Association for Home Care and Hospice, and a Multisociety group of the leading Infectious Disease Societies.

So please, if you have not already been vaccinated, do so as soon as you can. All VA employees are eligible to be vaccinated without charge at any of our facilities. You will receive 4 hours of paid administrative leave after attesting that you have been vaccinated.And if you have any outstanding questions about the vaccine, you can find more information about its safety and effectiveness in these FAQs or view clinician and Veteran videos here.

The bottom line is any unvaccinated employees who interact with Veterans right now are putting those Veterans at risk—and that’s a risk we simply cannot take.

Thank you to those of you who have already been vaccinated, and to those of you who will get vaccinated now. There is no better way to keep Veterans or our colleagues safe.

Denis McDonough

Link to the form which is required to be filled out prior to entering a VA facility as a employee or volunteer.