Manatee Officials Fear COVID Variant as Sixth Case Reported
Healthcare attorney Shannon Hartsfield was quoted in a Herald-Tribune article about vaccination disclosure and HIPAA. She explains that many are quick to assume that asking employees to share their vaccination status is an immediate violation of HIPAA, but that is not the case. There is no requirement for the employee to respond to such questions.
“HIPAA has quickly become a shorthand way to refer to the general concept of health privacy, but many are surprised to learn that HIPAA does not apply to all health data,” Ms. Hartsfield said. “... Asking employees about their vaccination status does not implicate HIPAA. Other laws may come into play depending on how that information is used, but HIPAA does not act as a barrier to such questions.”
READ: Manatee Officials Fear COVID Variant as Sixth Case Reported