Federal Agencies Ordered to Remove COVID-19 Vaccination Records

All federal agencies have been directed to delete any existing records related to employees’ COVID-19 vaccination status, vaccine exemption requests, or pandemic-related mandates. This change was announced through a memorandum from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which also prohibits the use of such vaccination information in employment decisions like hiring, promotion, or termination.

Effective immediately, federal employees’ vaccine histories should no longer influence employment actions. Agencies are required to certify compliance with this directive by September 8, and within 90 days, all vaccine-related data must be removed from both physical and electronic personnel files.

Employees retain the option to preserve their vaccination records on file if they choose to opt out within the 90-day period. OPM boss Scott Kupor stated that the move aims to rectify past injustices, where workers faced firing or penalties for personal medical decisions during the pandemic.

Previously, in September 2021, an executive order mandated COVID-19 vaccination for all federal employees. However, legal challenges ensued, including a nationwide court injunction blocking the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate in early 2022. This injunction was later reversed by a federal appeals court, but the mandate was ultimately struck down in 2023.

In May 2023, President Biden rescinded the vaccine requirement for federal workers, several months after he publicly declared that COVID-19 was officially over.