Monday May 1, 2023 | 8:56 p.m.
The White House announced Monday that on May 11 it will end the mandatory requirement to present the covid vaccine for travelers and US government officials.
”Today we are announcing that the administration will end the covid-19 vaccine requirement for federal employees, contractors, and air travelers by the end of May 11, the same day that the covid-19 public health emergency ends. ″, the statement said.
More than a million people have died from covid-19 in the United States. However, the White House said the pandemic had all but stopped, prompting the government to lift restrictions that were in place as the disease swept through entire communities and forced economic paralysis.
”Since January 2021, deaths from covid-19 have fallen by 95% and hospitalizations have dropped by about 91%. Globally, deaths from covid are at their lowest levels since the beginning of the pandemic.
According to the White House, “vaccine requirements have bolstered vaccination across the country, and our extensive vaccination campaign has saved millions of lives.”
While requiring vaccinations for foreigners aboard flights bound for the United States was common practice in many countries, mandatory vaccinations for government employees sometimes drew fierce political backlash at home.
In addition to ending vaccine rules, President Joe Biden announced in April that he was officially declaring the end of the national health emergency that for more than three years underpinned a series of extraordinary government actions.
