Ninety-nine percent of officials working in the White House have been vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of a deadline set by President Biden, the White House said Monday.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One Monday afternoon that the Executive Office of the President has already reached a 99 percent vaccination rate.
The Executive Office of the President includes Biden, members of his staff and those who work for a number of councils and offices within the White House, such as the Council of Economic Advisers, the National Security Council, the Domestic Policy Council, and the Office of Management and Budget.
Biden set a Nov. 22 deadline for federal workers to comply with his coronavirus vaccine mandate. The rule offered very limited exceptions for religious and medical reasons.
Overall, officials said 90 percent of the federal workforce has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine ahead of Monday’s deadline. Roughly 5 percent are in compliance with the policy because they have a valid exemption or request for extension.
Psaki noted that federal workers have until the end of the day and that the next step will involve agencies counseling individuals who are not in compliance.
“Part of the process here will be different agencies through HR processes counseling with employees to move towards being 100 percent compliant. That’s our objective,” Psaki said. “It is certainly not a cliff where we are going to look for decreasing of the workforce.”
Ultimately, officials who do not comply could face disciplinary action, including termination.
Biden and Vice President Harris each got vaccinated against the coronavirus publicly after vaccines were approved. Biden received his booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the end of September.