Feds say employers can require workers to get COVID vaccine
Companies are permitted to incentive employees to boost vaccination rates
Coronavirus studies suggest immunity after recovery could last 'a lifetime'
Infectious disease expert Dr. Amesh Adalja joins 'Kennedy' to discuss the need for people who recovered from COVID-19 to get vaccinated
American companies can require COVID-19 vaccines for individuals returning to the office the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Friday.
But employers must still provide reasonable accommodation for those exempt from mandatory immunization under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
CALIFORNIA CAFÉ CHARGES PATRONS $5 IF THEY WEAR A MASK OR FOR 'BRAGGING' ABOUT COVID VACCINE
Employee incentives are also permitted to encourage more Americans to get shots in their arms as the percentage of vaccine doses continues to reduce nationwide.
Employers are prohibited from issuing "coercive" incentives, but guidelines on what could be construed as illegal were not included.
"A very large incentive could make employees feel pressured to disclose protected medical information," the EEOC said, though the agency did not expand on what would be considered a disproportionate incentive.
Just over 50 percent of the U.S. population have received at least one dose of the coronavirus, with over 167 million Americans partially vaccinated.
ARIZONA GROUPS WORK TO VACCINATE 5,000 CENTRAL AMERICAN MIGRANTS
Despite broad access, just 40 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated with over 134 million having received the full vaccination.
President Biden pledged to have enough vaccines for every American by the end of July, but a drastic drop of shots administered could jeopardize that target.
The U.S. saw peak rates of vaccinations in early April with over 4.3 million doses administered on April 1, according to data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But by May 28, less than 130,000 doses were administered.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The coronavirus has infected over 33 million people nationwide and 170 million globally.
Nearly 591,000 have died in the U.S., along with 3.5 million worldwide from the virus.