With the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines receiving emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and with other potential COVID-19 vaccines in the pipeline, there is a glimmer of hope in what has been a dark year. As COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed throughout the country in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), employers have been wrestling with this question:  should we require our employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment?

Recent polls show that there is a significant portion of the population that either does not want to be vaccinated or is skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines. A November 2020 Gallup Poll showed that 42% of those polled said "they would not get a vaccine." A similar Pew Research poll taken in December 2020 showed comparable results, with 39% saying, "they definitely or probably would not get a coronavirus vaccine." While the percentages of those willing to be vaccinated have improved from polls taken in mid-2020, there remains substantial skepticism of COVID-19 vaccinations.