Vaccination rates at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in eastern Kansas slightly trail the national average, though it is unlikely any unvaccinated staff members will be terminated over the issue.
Data provided by the VA shows that 2,441 second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been administered to staff.
It is unclear if this includes booster doses, as the agency said a little under 2,000 staff work in the agency’s two hospitals and six clinics.
Joseph Burks, a spokesperson for the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System, said the system’s vaccination rate currently sits at 87%.
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13% seek religious or medical exemption
The remaining 13% of workers have applied for a religious or medical exemption, consistent with the agency’s prior recommendations. The VA has said it will take any religious exemption request at face value.
Nationally, 89% of VA staff and 98% of all federal workers have complied with the mandate.
None of the individuals working in the eastern Kansas VA system who have requested an exemption have been terminated as of yet.
Still, the agency is attempting to resolve ongoing legal challenges to its ability to enforce the vaccine mandate.
U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dennis McDonough announced the mandate last July, saying it would apply to physicians, dentists, registered nurses, physicians assistants and other medical fields covered by Title 38 of the U.S. Code.
“Whenever a Veteran or VA employee sets foot in a VA facility, they deserve to know that we have done everything in our power to protect them from COVID-19,” McDonough said at the time. “With this mandate, we can once again make — and keep — that fundamental promise.”
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Mandate appeals could go to the U.S. Supreme Court
A federal appeals court ruled in April allowed President Joe Biden’s administration to proceed with a vaccine requirement for federal workers, including the VA. Under the ruling, the mandate could begin taking effect in early June.
But further challenges have emerged, with a group opposed to the mandate requesting a new hearing before the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. If denied this opportunity, they could appeal all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
That process could take weeks, if not months, and it remains unclear how the VA will handle exemption requests while the case remains pending.
Andrew Bahl is a senior statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at abahl@gannett.com or by phone at 443-979-6100.
