The federal agency says employers may require workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine

A key federal agency said this week that employers can legally require their workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine and prevent them from entering their workplace if they refuse.

The U.S. Commission for Equal Employment Opportunity (EOC), in a guide published Wednesday, said requiring proof would not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The law prohibits employers from requiring medical examinations. , such as blood tests, which look for information about an employee’s physical or mental condition. , but the EOC said a COVID-19 vaccine does not fall into this category.

“If an employer administers a vaccine to an employee to protect him or her from hiring COVID-19, the employer does not seek information about a person’s current deficiencies or health status and is therefore not a medical examination, ”the commission said.

“There are many reasons that may explain why an employee has not been vaccinated, which may or may not be related to disability,” he added.

Public health experts have said they predict employers will play a key role in helping bring the nation to 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 the administration of the Modern vaccine in the coming days.

However, even with the permission of the EOC, employers should be cautious about any information that may be obtained from pre-screening questions, which the government said should be “work-related”. and consistent with business need “.

A requirement for employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine could play an important role in the fight against what experts say is an alarmingly high rate of skepticism about the shot.

While vaccines are considered one of the most crucial tools to ultimately reduce the spread of the disease, a Gallup poll last month found that only 58% of Americans said they would receive a vaccine.

To increase public confidence in a shot, Vice President Pence, second lady Karen PenceKaren Sue Pence Hill’s Report at 12:30 p.m .: First White House officials to receive COVID-19 vaccine Fauci urges Americans to “step on the plate” and get vaccinated Pence gets the coronavirus vaccine at the MORE camera and general surgeon Jerome AdamsJerome AdamsFauci urges Americans to “step on the plate” and get vaccinated Pence gets the coronavirus vaccine on camera The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Mastercard – Congress heads to COVID relief- 19, omnibus agreement MORE all received the shot of Pfizer on live television this week and the president-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenUS to close two Russian consulates over money: Congress passes law to prevent closure as coronavirus talks drag on over weekend | Federal Reserve Struggle Endangers Relief Talks Leading Legal Experts Urge Aggressive Immigration Actions MORE will do the same next week.

Although vaccine launches provide light at the end of the tunnel, the nation is still heading for what is predicted to be the deadliest phase of the virus before they are available in the spring and summer. Public health experts have expected an increase in cases to emerge after Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the country has begun reporting sometimes more than 3,000 deaths in a single day.