4 days ago
Trump admin orders to erase govt employees' COVID vaccination record. Here's why
In a move aimed at rolling back pandemic-era mandates, the US Office of Personnel Management on Friday directed all federal agencies to erase any record of an employee's COVID-19 vaccination status, prior non-compliance with vaccine mandates, or requests for exemptions from such mandates.
The rollback of vaccine record retention requirements was announced by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in a memo to all federal department and agency heads.
According to Fox News, agencies have 90 days to permanently remove vaccination status and exemption requests. Employees can opt out within those 90 days if they wish to keep their COVID vaccine history on file.
"Unless an employee affirmatively opts out within 90 days, all vaccine-related information must be permanently removed from both physical and electronic personnel files," the report added.
In the latest memo to heads and acting heads of departments and agencies on Friday, OPM Director Scott Kupor announced that, effective immediately, agencies are barred from using a person's vaccine history or exemption requests in any employment-related decision, including hiring, promotion, discipline or termination.
The OPM director explained that the move is in response to recent litigation and is part of the Trump administrationʼs broader effort to reverse 'harmful pandemic-era policies' imposed under the Biden administration.
OPM Director Scott Kupor said in a statement, "Things got out of hand during the pandemic, and federal workers were fired, punished, or sidelined for simply making a personal medical decision."
"That should never have happened," he said.
Former President Joe Biden had signed Executive Order 14043 in September 2021, directing federal agencies to require COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of federal employment.
This triggered a controversy as numerous lawsuits were filed by federal employees, unions and states, alleging the mandate violated constitutional rights and federal labor laws.
In 2022, a federal appeals court blocked enforcement of the order. Biden repealed the mandate in May 2023, prompting OPM officials to issue a memorandum to human resources directors stating that 'agencies should review their job ensure that none list compliance with the now revoked Executive Order 14043 as a qualification requirement.'
The memo also reminded agencies that the executive order could no longer be enforced.
