The White House announced on Monday that the Biden administration will rescind the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for international travelers arriving in the United States next week. The requirement, which applies to air travelers as well as federal government employees and contractors, will be lifted on May 11, coinciding with the termination of the national public health emergency related to the pandemic.

In addition to lifting the travel mandate, the administration will also "initiate the process of terminating" vaccination requirements for early childhood educators in the Head Start program, health care professionals, and "specific noncitizens at land border crossings," according to a White House statement.

The statement credited the vaccination mandates with strengthening vaccination efforts nationwide and contributing to a campaign that has "saved millions of lives."

The White House further noted that the U.S. is now in a different stage of its response to COVID-19 compared to when these mandates were first implemented in 2021.