Trump Administration Directs Federal Agencies to Expunge Worker COVID-19 Vaccine Records

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has issued a directive to all federal agencies, ordering the removal of records pertaining to employees’ COVID-19 vaccination status and any information related to compliance with prior pandemic-era mandates.

This mandate, which effectively rescinds earlier requirements for retaining vaccine-related data, was communicated in an August 8 memorandum. Authored by Scott Kupor, the director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the memo was dispatched to the heads of all federal departments and agencies, stipulating a compliance deadline of September 8.

“Effective immediately, federal agencies may not use an individual’s COVID-19 vaccine status, history of noncompliance with prior COVID-19 vaccine mandates, or requests for exemptions from such mandates in any employment-related decisions, including but not limited to hiring, promotion, discipline, or termination,” Kupor explicitly stated in the official memorandum to federal leadership.

Kupor framed this action as a strategic move by the Trump administration to dismantle what it considers “many harmful policies” inherited from former President Joe Biden’s administration. On social media platform X, Kupor commented, “Things got out of hand during the pandemic, and federal workers were fired, punished, or sidelined for simply making a personal medical decision. That should never have happened.” He added, “Thanks to @POTUS’s leadership, we’re making sure the excesses of that era do not have lingering effects on federal workers.”

Record Preservation and Opt-Out Provision

The directive also addresses document preservation requirements stemming from recent litigation. Kupor’s memo mandates that “all information related to an employee’s COVID-19 vaccine status, noncompliance with prior vaccine mandates, or exemption requests must be expunged” from all official employee personnel folders. However, there is a provision allowing individuals to “affirmatively opt out of this removal” within 90 days.

The White House did not provide an immediate response to inquiries regarding this order.

Historical Context of Federal Vaccine Mandates

Kupor’s memo references a September 9, 2021, executive order from the Biden administration, which initially required COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of federal employment. Although President Biden later repealed this specific order, his Office of Personnel Management subsequently issued a new policy clarifying that the executive order was no longer enforceable.

Further complicating the landscape, a federal judge issued a nationwide injunction in December 2021 against a separate vaccine mandate that targeted federal contractors. The ruling suggested that Biden had likely overstepped his authority in imposing that particular requirement.