November 4, 2021

Monday, November 8th, 2021

is the final day to obtain your second dose in a two-dose seri

OR your first dose in a one-dose series to be fully vaccinated 

the November 22nd vaccine requirement deadline. You must also upload

proof of vaccination documentation in VaxTrak within five business d

receiving a vaccine dose. If you get a required vaccine dose during your tour

of duty, you must use duty time rather than administrative le

Did You Know?

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and they 

undergone and continue to undergo the most intensive safe

monitoring in U.S. history. COVID-19 vaccines are effectiv

protecting you from COVID 19, especially severe illness a

death, including from variants of the virus currently

circulating, such as the Delta varian

You may have side effects after vaccination, but these are normal sign

your body is building protection. People can sometimes get COVID-19

being fully vaccinated. However, this only happens in a small proportion 

people, even with the Delta variant. When these infections occur amo

vaccinated people, they tend to be mild. Regardless of whether you have

already had COVID-19, you should get vaccinated. Evidence is emerging that

people get better protection by being fully vaccinated compared with ha

had COVID-19.

Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines,

including the vast majority of your DOL colleagues.
“There was no question in my mind that my family and I would g

vaccinated as soon as it was available. And when that time came, I ma

sure I registered all of us. Unfortunately, in the midst of both vaccines, I

tested positive. I was thankful that I had already received the first 

when it happened, as I only had a little bit of downtime and did not 

any severe problems. As Americans, we often take for granted what 

have. There are countries who are still waiting for vaccines, and if they

available, they are never free. For some, it is a choice between their daily

living allowance or the vaccination cost. Please, let’s get vaccinated so th

we can at least return to what normal used to be.”

— Gericel Escueta, OWCP

Get your vaccine today.

Vaccines.gov | Text your ZIP code to 438829 | Call 1 800 232 0233

If you would like to provide a testimonial about your vaccination experi

or have ideas about how we can promote vaccination, please ema

 with “Testimonial” or “Vaccine Encouragemen

in the subject line.

Vaccines Available for Children Ages 5-11

On October 29, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) approved use of the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shot for children ag

through 11. Following the FDA’s approval, the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention (CD

recommended on November 2, 2021, that everyone

ages 5 years and older should get a COVID-19 vaccination to help prote

against COVID-19. This will protect the children and will also slow the spread

of COVID-19 across the country.

DOL employees are granted administrative leave to accompany fami

members who are receiving any dose of a COVID-19 vaccination. Employe

may use up to four hours of administrative leave per dose – for example, 

to a total of 12 hours of leave for a family member receiving three doses – for

each family member the employee accompanies.
The Latest on Booster Shots

Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated

(defined as two weeks past one’s second shot in a two do

series or two weeks past one’s first dose in a single do

series) by November 22, 2021. At this time, the CDC defi

of “fully vaccinated” does not include or require any booster

shots or additional doses. However, the Centers for Disea

Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that certain people are now eligib

to receive a COVID 19 booster shot, including those who received Moderna

and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines. If you and your medical

professional determine a booster shot is right for you, you may use

administrative leave to obtain one, and you do not need to record it 

VaxTrak at this tim

Booster shots work to increase your immune response. If you plan to receive

or have previously received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19

vaccine, you can select any of the FDA approved vaccinations to include 

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) as a booster sh

after two month

New Video Resources

You asked, and we answered!

Q: Who does the vaccination requirement in the Executive Order apply

A: The requirement applies to all DOL

employees, including those who are not

currently performing onsite or in-person

work, but does allow for exceptions, 

required by law, for reasonable

accommodations for a qualifying medic

condition or a sincerely held religio

belief, practice, or observance. See DOL

Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO), Sydney Rose, explain the vaccin

requirement further (1 min).

Q: When should I use duty time vs. administrative leave for vaccinationrelated a
A: If you get your vaccine during your tour

of duty, please charge to duty time rath

than administrative leave. Howeve

administrative leave should be used f

time spent obtaining an additional 

(including a booster shot) or taking a

family member to a vaccine appointment.

See DOL’s CHCO Sydney Rose explain time charging guidance related to t

vaccination requirement (2 mins 30 sec

Q: What are the consequences for noncompliance with the vaccinati

requirement?

A: If a DOL Federal employee continues 

refuse to be vaccinated or provide proof

of vaccination, absent being granted

reasonable accommodation for

qualifying medical condition or a sincere

held religious belief, practice, 

observance, DOL will pursue disciplinary

measures, consistent with OPM guidance

and up to and including removal from Federal service. See more about

disciplinary action related to the vaccination requirement from CHCO Sy

Rose (3 min).

For questions about the vaccine requirement, please reach to your D

VaxTrak Agency Point of Contact. For more FAQs, visit the DOL COVID-19

FAQ LaborNet page!

Check out these and other resources on

the DOL COVID-19 LaborNet page!

VaxTrak Info Page

Vaccine Info Page

DOL VaxTrak Agency Points

of Contact

State-specific COVID-

Vaccine Records

DOL Workplace Safety Plan

DOL Reentry and PostReentry Plan
Questions? Please email us at