Kamala Harris campaign still requires staffers to be ‘up-to-date’ with Covid vaccinations

According to the official website for the Harris and Tim Walz campaign, the list of job opportunities includes a mandatory requirement for COVID-19 vaccination as part of the qualifications. A statement on the website reads that employees must be "up to date" with their vaccination status in order to be considered for employment.

“Harris for President requires all employees to be ‘up to date’ on COVID-19 vaccination status as prescribed by the CDC as a condition of employment, unless otherwise prohibited by applicable law,” the statement on the website states. “If you seek a reasonable accommodation in relation to the campaign’s COVID-19 policy, you should speak to the HR Department prior to reporting to an office location,”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has continued to recommend that individuals stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination for 2023-2024. According to the CDC, "up to date" vaccination status means having received one age-appropriate updated COVID-19 vaccine. For people over the age of 65, being up to date requires having received two doses.

This requirement comes despite the Biden-Harris administration ending the COVID-19 vaccine mandates for federal employees and contractors in May 2023, coinciding with the end of the public health emergency declaration for COVID-19. At that time, the White House claimed in its statement that the vaccination requirements had “helped ensure the safety of workers in critical workforces including those in the healthcare and education sectors, protecting themselves and the populations they serve, and strengthening their ability to provide services without disruptions to operations.”