COVID-19 DIRECTIVE.pdf

Subject: Immediate Action Required: VHA Directive 1193 Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Program for VHA Health Care Personnel, Effective August 13, 2021

1. The purpose of this email is to inform your company of the new VHA Directive 1193 Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Program for VHA Health Care Personnel and the requirement for your healthcare personnel employees to comply with the requirements in the Directive. In accordance with VHA Directive 1193, it is VHA’s policy that VA medical facilities will implement a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination program by requiring all VHA Health Care Personnel (HCP) to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Please note that contractor personnel is included in VHA’s definition of a HCP (see definition below).

Definition of HCP: Healthcare personnel (HCP) refers to all paid and unpaid persons who work in or travel to VHA locations who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials, including body substances (e.g., blood, tissue, and specific body fluids); contaminated medical supplies, devices, and equipment; contaminated environmental surfaces; or contaminated air.

These HCP may include, but are not limited to, emergency medical service personnel, nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, technicians, therapists, phlebotomists, pharmacists, health professions trainees (HPTs), contractor personnel, and persons (e.g., clerical, dietary, environmental services, laundry, security, maintenance, engineering and facilities management, administrative, billing, and volunteer personnel) not directly involved in patient care but potentially exposed to infectious agents that can be transmitted from HCP and patients. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time, intermittent, fee basis employees who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these locations. HCP also includes VHA personnel and contractor personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

1. HCP Contractor personnel employed by your company and working at VA medical facilities, are required to comply with VHA Directive 1193 and requirements outlined in the Directive. Please see the specific requirements below and ensure action is taken within eight weeks of publication of this Directive. The effective date of the Directive is August 13 2021. Therefore, the deadline for compliance is on/about October 8 2021.

VHA Health Care Personnel. VHA HCP is required to comply with VHA Directive 1193 by:

(1) Receiving a complete COVID-19 immunization series or obtaining an exemption for medical or religious reasons.

(2) Submitting the Health Care Personnel COVID-19 Vaccination Form, VA Form 10-263 (See Appendix B of the Directive) to Employee Occupational Health (EOH).

(a) If a VHA HCP is vaccinated at a VHA location, by VHA EOH, they are not required to complete and submit VA Form 10-263 to EOH.

(b) If a VHA HCP is vaccinated outside of EOH and has submitted acceptable and complete documentation of vaccination, as prescribed in Appendix A, to EOH, they are not required to complete and submit VA Form 10-263 to EOH.

(c) If a VHA HCP is vaccinated outside of EOH, but has not submitted acceptable and complete documentation of vaccination, as prescribed in Appendix A, to EOH, they must complete and submit VA Form 10-263 to EOH with all required documentation and within the timelines as prescribed in this Directive.

(d) If a VHA HCP is exempt from COVID-19 vaccination for medical or religious reasons, they must complete the COVID-19 Vaccination VA Form 10-263 (Appendix B), declaring the exemption and acknowledging the requirement to wear a face mask when under conditions in the work environment described (See Appendix A, paragraph 5.a and Appendix B).

1. Please acknowledge receipt of the subject Directive and requirements by replying to this email with an affirmative that you’ve received a copy of the Directive and understand the requirements within.

1. Finally, our office will issue a bilateral modification to the contract to formally include VHA Directive 1193 as a mandatory VHA Directive that your company must comply with. Therefore, please let us know if your company foresees any problems with implementing or complying with the Directive.