The Trump Administration Orders Federal Agencies to Eliminate COVID-19 Vaccine Records
The Trump administration issued a directive on Friday instructing all federal agencies to remove any records related to employees’ COVID-19 vaccination status, noncompliance with pandemic mandates, or requests for vaccine exemptions.
The move, announced by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in a memo to federal department and agency heads, aims to reverse pandemic-era policies implemented by former President Joe Biden.
OPM Director Scott Kupor stated that the decision was made in response to recent litigation and is part of the administration’s efforts to rectify the consequences of excessive measures taken during the pandemic.
Kupor emphasized that federal workers should not face repercussions for their personal medical decisions and that the directive prohibits agencies from using vaccine history in any employment-related decisions.
Agencies are required to expunge vaccine-related information from both physical and electronic personnel files within 90 days, unless employees choose to retain their COVID vaccine history.
Employees have the option to opt out of the directive within 90 days if they wish to retain their vaccine history. Agencies must certify compliance by Sept. 8.
In September 2021, Biden signed an executive order mandating COVID-19 vaccination for federal workers, which was later blocked by a federal judge in January 2022. The mandate was eventually rescinded in May 2023.
While the Biden administration faced legal challenges regarding the vaccine mandate, the Trump administration’s recent directive aims to protect federal workers’ privacy and prevent any lingering effects of pandemic-era policies.
