BREAKING: OSHA Guidance On Recording Adverse COVID-19 Vaccine Reactions

Employers that require workers to receive COVID-19 vaccinations may need to record adverse reactions in the workplace illness logs they are required to share with the federal government, OSHA said in new guidance.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the guidance Tuesday in the form of answers to three frequently asked questions.

The guidance tells employers, “If you require your employees to be vaccinated as a condition of employment, then any adverse reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine is work-related.”

Employers that require the vaccine would need to record adverse reactions in their OSHA 300 log if it led to the employee missing more than one day of work, required medical treatment beyond first aid, or resulted in restricted work or transfer to another job. Those are the same conditions that trigger mandatory recording of other types of work-related injuries and illnesses.

The agency said employers that recommend the vaccine, but don’t require it, don’t need to record adverse reactions.