Biden moves deadline for federal vaccine mandates to January in effort to avoid holiday snarl

New rules outlined by the Biden administration will extend the deadline for millions of workers to get vaccinated for COVID-19 per requirements by the federal government. Under the announcement, workers can wait until after the new year to get their final shot.

The deadline for federal workers and contractors and large employers covered by new Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules will be Jan. 4, White House officials told the press Wednesday night, alleviating concerns about worker shortages if mandates took effect before the holidays. The previously announced deadline of Dec. 8 for contractors worried employers about labor shortages ahead of the holidays coinciding with lengthy shipping delays amid Christmas shopping set to ramp up.

The new rules apply to two-thirds of the U.S. workforce. The OSHA mandate is for any private business with more than 100 employees, which the White House officials said covers about 84 million people, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services guidelines require healthcare workers at facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid to be fully vaccinated, affecting an estimated 17 million workers at 76,000 healthcare facilities. The CMS rules are for clinical and nonclinical employees, students, trainees, and volunteers.

That's in addition to federal government employees and contractors.