There is no active statewide COVID-19 vaccine mandate in Washington as of 2026. The Washington state vaccine mandate rules that once covered state employees, healthcare workers, and educators during the pandemic have all been rescinded. What still applies is the longstanding list of immunizations children need for school and childcare, facility policies inside healthcare settings, and the right of any private employer to set its own vaccination rule as a condition of employment.
What Happened to the COVID-19 Mandates
Every COVID-19 vaccine requirement Washington imposed during the pandemic is gone. Governor Inslee rescinded Proclamation 21-14 and its amendments effective October 31, 2022, ending the requirement that employees, contractors, and volunteers at designated state agencies be fully vaccinated.1Office of the Governor of Washington. Proclamation 21-14.6 – COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement Rescission A separate executive directive kept the requirement in place for state employees after that, until Directive 22-13.2 rescinded it in May 2023.2Governor Bob Ferguson. Directives
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services withdrew its COVID-19 vaccination mandate for healthcare workers at Medicare- and Medicaid-participating facilities effective August 4, 2023.3Federal Register. Medicare and Medicaid Programs Policy and Regulatory Changes to the Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination No government mandate at any level now requires a Washington resident, employee, or student to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Private employers are a different story. Washington is an at-will employment state, and any private employer can still require COVID-19 vaccination or other vaccines as an internal policy.4Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Termination and Retaliation Hospitals, clinics, and other organizations often do, independent of anything the state or federal government says.
School and Childcare Immunizations Are Still Required
The rule that affects the most Washington families has nothing to do with COVID-19. Under RCW 28A.210.080, every child attending a public or private school or licensed childcare center must show proof of full immunization, proof they are on schedule to complete immunizations, or a valid exemption.5Washington State Legislature. RCW 28A.210.080 – Immunization Program Attendance of Child Conditioned Upon Presentation of Alternative Proofs
For the 2025–2026 school year, the required vaccines are:6Washington State Department of Health. Individual Vaccine Requirements Summary 2025-2026
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP/Tdap): five doses for kindergarten through sixth grade, plus a Tdap booster for grades seven through twelve.
- Hepatitis B: three doses at all grade levels.
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR): two doses for kindergarten and above.
- Polio: four doses for kindergarten and above.
- Varicella (chickenpox): two doses for kindergarten and above.
- Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib): preschool only, not required after age five.
- Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV): preschool only, not required after age five.
COVID-19 vaccination is not on this list. It is not required for school or childcare entry in Washington.
Medical, Religious, and Personal Exemptions
Washington recognizes three exemptions from school and childcare immunization requirements, filed in writing on a form prescribed by the Department of Health.7Washington State Legislature. RCW 28A.210.090 – Immunization Program Exemptions
A medical exemption requires a licensed physician’s signed certification that a particular vaccine is not advisable for the child due to a medical condition. If the condition resolves, the child will need the vaccine. A religious exemption is a parent or guardian’s certification that immunization conflicts with their religious beliefs or the beliefs of a religious organization they belong to. A personal or philosophical exemption is a parent or guardian’s certification of a personal objection, and it is available for every required vaccine except MMR.
The personal and philosophical exemption for MMR was eliminated in 2019 when the legislature passed HB 1638 in response to a measles outbreak in Clark County.8Washington State Department of Health. MMR Vaccine Exemption Law Change 2019 Medical and religious exemptions for MMR still exist.
An exemption on file is not absolute. During an active outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, state health officials can exclude unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children from school or childcare until the outbreak ends or the child gets the relevant vaccine. Vaccinated classmates keep attending; your child stays home.
Healthcare Workers and Facility Policies
The federal COVID-19 staff vaccination mandate for Medicare and Medicaid facilities is gone, but CMS conditions of participation still require long-term care facilities to run infection control programs. Nursing homes must offer influenza immunizations to residents annually and offer COVID-19 vaccines to residents and staff when available, and must document education, vaccines offered, and vaccine status.3Federal Register. Medicare and Medicaid Programs Policy and Regulatory Changes to the Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Offering and tracking is required; receiving the vaccine is not.
Hospitals and health systems in Washington often go further on their own. Annual flu shots and COVID-19 boosters remain conditions of employment at many employers. These policies are enforceable under standard employment law. A healthcare worker who refuses may face reassignment, suspension, or termination, subject to any accommodation the worker qualifies for.
If You Object: Accommodations Under Federal Law
Nothing in Washington state law prevents a private employer from requiring vaccination. Federal law does limit how the employer handles employees who object on medical or religious grounds.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, an employee whose medical condition prevents vaccination can request a reasonable accommodation. Possibilities include masking, regular testing, remote work, or reassignment. The employer must engage in an interactive process and can deny the request only if the accommodation creates an undue hardship on the business.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects religious objections. In Groff v. DeJoy (2023), the Supreme Court held that an employer must show the accommodation would result in “substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business,” not merely a trivial cost.9Supreme Court of the United States. Groff v. DeJoy That standard is higher than the older interpretation, under which almost any cost qualified as undue hardship.
EEOC guidance says employers should generally assume a religious objection is sincere, though a limited factual inquiry is allowed where there is an objective reason to question the claim. The employer must actually explore alternatives instead of denying outright, and cannot use the process to challenge the employee’s beliefs.10U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws A 2026 EEOC appellate decision criticized an agency for using “invasive gotcha-style questioning” about an employee’s medical history in evaluating a religious accommodation request.11U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. EEOC Issues Federal Sector Appellate Decision Finding Unlawful Discrimination in Agency’s Denial of Religious Accommodation to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
If an employer grants an accommodation such as weekly testing or masking, it cannot cut the employee’s pay or strip benefits as a condition. An employee who believes an accommodation request was improperly denied can file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC.