Home Health Care Workers Union Seeks Vaccine Mandate Extension

A union representing home health care workers sought an extension to COVID-19 vaccine mandate deadlines that applied to Medicare- and Medicaid-certified home health agencies. Union leaders argued that strict compliance timelines risked pushing out frontline caregivers during an already severe workforce shortage, potentially disrupting in-home services for elderly and disabled clients.

Under the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) emergency regulation issued in late 2021, an estimated 17 million healthcare workers at certified facilities — including home health agencies — were required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Unions representing home care aides called for additional time to educate members, process medical and religious exemptions, and backfill positions before enforcement took effect.

CMS later withdrew its COVID-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare workers in 2023, ending the federal mandate that had prompted the extension requests. State-level vaccination rules for healthcare personnel continue to vary.

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