WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House will announce on Friday that millions of federal contractors must be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8 and that the administration will add clauses to future government contracts mandating inoculations, officials told Reuters.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Sept. 9 requiring federal contractors to mandate vaccinations, but many U.S. companies with federal contractors have awaited formal guidance from the White House before moving forward.
The White House Office of Management and Budget said in a document seen by Reuters the requirement “will decrease worker absence, reduce labor costs, and improve the efficiency of contractors and subcontractors performing work for the Federal Government.”
The guidance to be released Friday says that contractor employees covered by the rules “must be fully vaccinated no later than December 8” and adds that after that date, employees must be vaccinated by the first day of performance on a new or extended contract.
A federal official told Reuters that procurement contracts with the government in general are covered, especially for service contracts. The requirements are also expected to apply to government contracts for manufacturing specific products for the government, like defense contracts, rather than off the shelf products, the official said.
Earlier this month, the White House said most federal employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no later than Nov. 22.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
