To date, two COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized under an “emergency use authorization” issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and several other vaccine candidates are being evaluated. These advances are very important, positive steps forward in curbing the pandemic — and helping employees and employers get back to “business as usual” — COVID-style, of course.
Though not yet widely available, federal authorities expect the COVID-19 vaccine to be accessible to all who wish to receive it by late spring to early summer 2021. In the meantime, federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and others have added guidance on how to navigate some of the practical and compliance-related issues that are expected to arise now that COVID-19 vaccinations are on the horizon. [See our recent client alerts on the EEOC’s guidance and vaccine issues.]
