COVID Vaccine Deadlines Announced For Federal Employees

The Department of Defense has given a deadline for federal employees to get their COVID-19 vaccine.

The department outlined a plan for getting federal employees vaccinated. Employees with military forces, like Tinker Air Force Base, have until November 22 to be fully vaccinated.

President Joe Biden issued an executive order which required federal employees get the COVID-19 vaccine.

This impacts thousands of employees in Oklahoma. A deputy secretary of defense memorandum was recently sent out and provides guidelines detailing what this means for military forces.

A worker at Tinker Air Force Base told News 9 he received the letter.

“There's going to be a major shortage of employees. I've talked to fellow friends and other employees out at Tinker, and every unit out there is going to have an issue, because there's a lot of people that are refusing to get the vaccine,” Tinker Air Force Base worker said. 

The deadline for federal employees to receive the final dose of the vaccine is November 8, that way they have immunity by November 22.

The guidelines state:

1. October 11: first dose deadline (if receiving the Moderna vaccine);
2. October 18: first dose deadline (if receiving the Comimaty/Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine);
3. November 8: second dose deadline (if receiving the Moderna and Comimaty/PfizerBioNTech vaccines); and
4. November 8: first (only) dose deadline (if receiving the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine).

Tinker elevated their COVID-19 protocols in August in response to the increase in the spread of the delta variant. Employees and visitors are required to wear masks indoors on installations and any DoD-controlled building.

“Know that we will wear masks and be deliberate about defeating this virus here at Tinker,” Col. G. Hall Sebren Jr. said.

Federal employees can file an exception request. Refusing to follow the guidelines without it may result in removal or termination.

Tinker officials released the following statement Thursday:

Tinker AFB is aware of the official Department of Defense notification to civilian federal employees regarding the Covid vaccine mandate. The vaccine will ensure safety, health and readiness to enable our critical mission requirements, and per DoD directive, we will be prepared to implement this mandate.