President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a directive requiring all federal agencies to remove any records related to workers’ COVID-19 vaccination status and compliance with pandemic-related mandates.
The COVID order
Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Management, announced the order in a memo addressed to the leaders of all federal departments and agencies. The directive requires agencies to report their compliance by September 8. “Effective immediately, federal agencies may not use an individual’s COVID-19 vaccine status, history of noncompliance with prior COVID-19 vaccine mandates, or requests for exemptions from such mandates in any employment-related decisions, including but not limited to hiring, promotion, discipline or termination,” Kupor wrote.
Reversing Biden’s policies
Kupor framed the latest order as part of an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to reverse “many harmful policies” enacted under former President Joe Biden. “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,” Kupor said on X. “Thanks to @POTUS’s leadership, we’re making sure the excesses of that era do not have lingering effects on federal workers.”
Ongoing litigation
Kupor also noted the need to comply with document preservation requirements due to ongoing litigation. He clarified that “all information related to an employee’s COVID-19 vaccine status, noncompliance with prior vaccine mandates or exemption requests must be expunged” from official personnel folders, unless employees opt out of this removal within 90 days.
Biden’s executive order
The memo references a September 9, 2021 executive order from Biden mandating COVID-19 vaccination as a requirement for federal employment. Despite Biden repealing the order, his Office of Personnel Management issued a policy reminding agencies that the original mandate was no longer enforceable.
COVID debate
Meanwhile, the debate over COVID vaccination recommendations continues. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that COVID-19 vaccines are not recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains its recommendation for vaccinations for healthy children, as outlined in its reported immunization schedule.
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Author: Isabella Torregiani
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