Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been changing requirements for wearing masks, quarantining, and getting vaccinated. Some states have mandated COVID-19 vaccines for employees, while others have made suggestions. Some other states have completely banned the requirement of vaccines for any employee.
At the end of 2022, most states have reduced or removed their vaccine requirements, though there are still some states with these mandates in effect.
Vaccines Mandated for Healthcare Workers
The most common type of statewide COVID vaccine mandate is to require healthcare workers to get the vaccine. Currently, twelve states require all healthcare workers to get the vaccine or risk termination. These states are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
Three states require healthcare workers to either get vaccinated or to get tested regularly. New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware all require vaccinations or regular testing for healthcare workers.
States That Ban Vaccine Mandates
While many states require vaccination, some states have actually passed laws banning employers from putting vaccine mandates into place.
Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia have all banned vaccine mandates from being passed for state employees. Montana has additionally banned mandates for private employers requiring employees to be vaccinated.
Almost half of the states also have a ban on requiring proof of vaccination for COVID-19. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming all do not allow proof of vaccination to be shown for any reason.