A key federal agency said this week that employers can legally require workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and prevent them from entering the workplace if they refuse.
The U.S. Equality Commission (EOC) said Wednesday that requesting a test would not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The law prohibits employers from seeking medical examinations, such as blood tests that require information about a person’s physical or mental condition. employee. , but the EOC said a COVID-19 vaccine does not fall into this category.
“If a vaccine is given to an employee by an employer for protection against COVID-19, the employer is not looking for information about a person’s deficiencies or current health status and is therefore not a medical examination,” the commission said.
“There are many reasons why an employee has not been vaccinated, which may or may not be related to disabilities,” he added.
Public health experts say they predict employers will play a key role in helping the nation reach a critical degree of widespread immunity as vaccines become more available. Two vaccines, one from Pfizer / BioNTech and one from Moderna, have already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to give the green light to Moderna vaccine in the coming days.
However, even with the permission of the EOC, employers must be wary of any information that may be gleaned from pre-screening questions, which the government said must be “work-related and work-related. in accordance with business needs ”.
A requirement for employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine could play an important role in combating what experts say is an alarmingly high rate of skepticism about the shooting.
While vaccines are considered one of the most important tools to ultimately reduce the spread of the disease, a survey conducted by Gallup last month found that only 58% of Americans said they would receive a vaccine.
To boost public confidence in one fell swoop, Vice President Pence, second lady Karen Pence
Karen Sue Pence Hill’s Report 12:30 p.m .: White House officials receive COVID-19 vaccine Fauci urges Americans to “step on plate” and get vaccinated Pence receives coronavirus vaccine on camera MULT and the surgeon general Jerome Adams
Jerome AdamsFauci urges Americans to “go to the plate” and get vaccinated Pence receives coronavirus vaccine on camera Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Mastercard – Congress Towards COVID-19 Improvement, Omnibus Agreement MORE everyone received the Pfizer shot on live television this week and the president-elect Joe Biden
Joe BidenUS to close two Russian consulates: “Congress adopts bill to prevent closure, while talks on coronavirus move to the weekend | Federal Reserve fight threatens aid talks Lead legal experts call for aggressive immigration action MORE will do the same next week.
While vaccine launches provide a light at the end of the tunnel, the nation is still heading for what is expected to be the deadliest phase of the virus before it is widely available in the spring and summer. Public health experts expected an increase in cases after Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the country sometimes began reporting more than 3,000 deaths in a single day.