[Epoch Times August 13, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Li Jia comprehensive report) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Thursday (August 12) that it will require more than 25,000 staff in the department The Chinese Communist Pneumonia (COVID-19) vaccine must be vaccinated to protect patients in medical or clinical research institutions.
HHS Minister Xavier Becerra said in a statement issued on Thursday that the requirement will apply to “employees, contractors, trainees and volunteers whose duties will expose them or may be exposed to Patients in HHS medical or clinical research institutions”.
The statement announced that this policy will apply to more than 25,000 people under HHS, including staff from the Indian Health Service and the National Institutes of Health, who operate health And clinical research facilities, may come into contact with patients.
In addition, the US Public Health Service Corps (PHSCC), composed of more than 6,000 health workers responding to the national public health crisis, will also be included in this policy.
Becerra also stated in the statement that the vaccine is the best tool for the department to protect people from the Chinese Communist Party virus (Wuhan virus, the new coronavirus) and prevent the spread of the Delta variant virus.
This decision makes HHS the second U.S. federal agency that requires employees to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus. On Monday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (Lloyd Austin) also sent a memorandum to all departments of the Ministry, requiring all members of the US military to be vaccinated by September 15.
According to a report by CNN, an HHS official said that the requirement is expected to be implemented by the end of September.
According to a report by the US political news website Politico, an HHS official told the media that the department estimates that based on data provided by those who voluntarily report their condition, among the people covered by HHS’s request, the current 20%-30% have not been vaccinated yet.
Nevertheless, the above requirements ultimately only cover a small part of the entire staff of the department, which has a total of more than 80,000 employees in 11 business units.
The rest will be bound by a government-wide policy that requires staff to be vaccinated or follow a series of preventive measures, including regular CCP pneumonia testing, wearing masks, and travel restrictions.
HHS will follow the existing requirements, that is, the established procedures for employees to receive seasonal flu vaccines and other routine vaccines. For medical and religious reasons, exemptions are allowed.
Editor in charge: Lin Yan #
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