FACT CHECK: Did Kamala Harris Unveil A National COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate?
A recent Instagram post suggests that Vice President Kamala Harris has announced a national COVID-19 vaccine mandate. However, this claim has been determined to be false. The headline originates from an article published by “The Times Of America,” which incorrectly implies that Harris’s mandate applies nationwide. In reality, the vaccine requirement mentioned specifically pertains to her campaign employees, who must be “up to date” on their COVID-19 vaccinations as a condition of employment unless legally exempt.
Kamala Harris is scheduled to officially accept the Democratic Party nomination on August 22, during the Democratic National Convention, where she will outline her vision for the country and challenge her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump. The article highlighted in the Instagram post incorrectly frames her campaign staff’s vaccination policy as a broader national mandate. This misunderstanding arises from job listings on Harris’s campaign website, which outline vaccination requirements for potential employees but do not suggest a national mandate. No public statements from Harris support the existence of a national vaccine requirement.
A headline shared on Instagram claims 2024 Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has unveiled a national COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Verdict: False
The claim is false. The headline, which stems from an Aug. 19 article published by “The Times Of America,” indicates the vaccine mandate applies to Harris’ campaign employees and is not a national mandate. Multiple job listings that appear on Harris’ campaign website state that employees must be “up to date” on their COVID-19 vaccines “unless otherwise prohibited by applicable law.”
Fact Check:
Harris will officially accept the Democratic Party nomination on August 22, the final night of the Democratic National Convention, according to The Associated Press. Harris will discuss her vision for the country and make a case against her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, during her acceptance speech, the outlet reported.
The Instagram post, which has received over 3,000 likes as of writing, claims Harris has unveiled a national COVID-19 vaccine mandate. “Harris Unveils COVID Vax Mandate, Raising Eyebrows,” the headline, dated Aug. 19, reads. The headline appears to be published by a website called “The Times Of America.”
The claim is false. While the headline does stem from “The Times Of America,” the Aug. 19 article indicates the COVID-19 vaccine mandate applies to employees on Harris’ campaign and is not a national mandate. The article references a job listing published on Harris’ campaign website that states all employees must be “up to date” on their COVID-19 vaccines “unless otherwise prohibited by applicable law.”
Check Your Fact reviewed Harris’ campaign website and found the job listing referenced in “The Times Of America” article. The job listing for the position of Analytics Engineer includes verbiage requiring employees to be vaccinated.
“Harris for President requires all employees to be ‘up to date’ on COVID-19 vaccination status as prescribed by the CDC as a condition of employment, unless otherwise prohibited by applicable law. If you seek a reasonable accommodation in relation to the campaign’s COVID-19 policy, you should speak to the HR Department prior to reporting to an office location,” the job listing reads.
The same language is included in job listings for Data Analyst, Senior Polling and Research Manager, and National Spokesperson positions that appear on Harris’ campaign website. (RELATED: Did Kamala Harris Make Fun Of ‘Trumpers’ And The Constitution In A Post?)
Likewise, Harris has not publicly referenced the claim about a purported national vaccine mandate on her campaign website or her verified social media accounts. In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Aug. 21, Lead Stories reported the claim was false.
Check Your Fact has contacted a Harris spokesperson for comment.
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