CMS issues interpretive guidance for vaccine mandate rule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Dec. 28 released interpretive guidance, as well as updated its Frequently Asked Questions for its Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule. In doing so, CMS is pushing back the two original implementation dates for compliance with the vaccine mandate rule. Organizations will now have until Jan. 27, 2022 (rather than Dec. 6, 2021) to establish policies mandating vaccines for health care workers and achieve a high level of compliance for the workers to have received their first vaccine. Workers will then have until Feb. 28 (instead of Jan. 4) to complete their primary vaccination series.