In 2021, based on the best available data and guidance from our public health experts, I issued
Executive Order 14043 of September 9, 2021 (Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees), to direct executive departments and agencies (agencies) to require coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination for their employees, and
Executive Order 14042 of September 9, 2021 (Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors), to ensure that Federal contractors and subcontractors have adequate COVID-19 safety protocols. I issued those orders at a time when the highly contagious B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant was the predominant variant of the virus in the United States and had led to a rapid rise in cases and hospitalizations. Those orders were necessary to protect the health and safety of critical workforces serving the American people and to advance the efficiency of Government services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following issuance of those orders, my Administration successfully implemented a vaccination requirement for the Federal Government, the largest employer in the Nation, achieving a 98 percent compliance rate (reflecting employees who had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or had a pending or approved exemption or extension request) by January 2022. More broadly, my Administration has effectively implemented the largest adult vaccination program in the history of the United States, with over 270 million Americans receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Following this important work, along with continued critical investments in tests and therapeutics that are protecting against hospitalization and death, we are no longer in the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, and my Administration has begun the process of ending COVID-19 emergency declarations. Our public health experts have issued guidance that allows individuals to understand mitigation measures to protect themselves and those around them. Our healthcare system and public health resources throughout the country are now better able to respond to any potential surge of COVID-19 cases without significantly affecting access to resources or care. Since September 2021, COVID-19 deaths have declined by 93 percent, and new COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined by 86 percent. Considering this progress, and based on the latest guidance from our public health experts, we no longer need a Government-wide vaccination requirement for Federal employees or federally specified safety protocols for Federal contractors. Vaccination remains an important tool to protect individuals from serious illness, but we are now able to move beyond these Federal requirements.