Biden to Require All Federal Employees, Contractors to Be Vaccinated

Biden is requiring all federal workers and government contractors to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a person familiar with the plans.

Biden is expected to unveil executive orders Thursday as part of a broader plan to stop the spread of the virus.

One of the orders will require all federal executive branch workers to be vaccinated, and the other orders the same for employees of contractors that do business with the federal government, the Wall Street Journal reports.

In a speech, Biden is expected to discuss other measures to better combat the virus, including more regular testing, urging businesses to adopt vaccine mandates and increasing access to COVID-19 treatments.

The new vaccine requirements apply to federal executive branch workers, not legislative or judiciary branch staffers. Some federal agencies previously issued vaccine requirements, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the military.