Biden announces new steps to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations

President Biden today announced new actions to spur more vaccinations nationwide against COVID-19, due in part to the rise of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. These actions include:

• requiring federal employees and contracted workers to attest to their vaccination status;
• directing the Department of Defense to look at adding COVID-19 vaccines to the list of required vaccinations for members of the military;
• reimbursements for small- and medium-sized business to enable the expansion of employees’ paid leave to get family members vaccinated;
• calling on state and local governments to offer $100 payments to those getting newly vaccinated; and
• urging school districts to host “back to school” pop-up vaccination clinics targeting unvaccinated kids age 12 and older.