Trump proposes federal vaccine mandate expansion for 30% of workforce

President Donald Trump is considering adding new categories to the federal vaccine mandate issued in his executive order last month, according to officials in Washington. The order, which requires all federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID‑19 or obtain a medical exemption, will be expanded to include additional vaccine types and age groups. The proposal is being drafted by the Office of Management and Budget and will be released for public comment later this week. The move comes as the administration seeks to tighten its health‑policy agenda amid ongoing debates over federal mandates.

The original order, signed on June 3, was intended to protect national security and public health by ensuring that workers in critical federal roles are vaccinated. It covers roughly 2.6 million federal employees and 1.3 million contractors. Critics say the mandate is an overreach of executive power and could drive workers to resign or face legal battles. Supporters argue it is essential to keep federal facilities safe and to maintain continuity of government services. The new categories could extend the mandate to include influenza vaccines for certain positions, booster shots for all employees, or vaccinations for children aged 12 to 17 who work in federal facilities.

The White House says the changes will clarify which vaccines qualify and how exemptions are granted. The draft policy would require employees to receive either a COVID‑19 vaccine, an influenza shot, or a combination of both, depending on the nature of their job. The administration estimates that adding these categories could affect up to 30 percent of the federal workforce, or about 780,000 people. The proposal also includes a provision that would allow contractors to be exempted if they meet specific health criteria, a concession that has been welcomed by some business groups.

Next steps include a public comment period that will run through mid‑July, followed by a review by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Legal experts warn that the expanded mandate could face challenges in federal court, with lawsuits already pending from several states and employee unions. The outcome of this review will determine whether the expanded vaccine categories become law and could set a precedent for how the federal government can regulate employee health in the future.