At long last, the U.S. federal government will end the COVID-19 vaccine mandates for international travelers, federal workers, Head Start employees, and the healthcare industry. The mandates will expire on May 11, the date that President Joe Biden has designated as the formal end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

While the Supreme Court previously struck down Biden's mandate requiring 80 million private sector employees to get vaccinated, the justices left intact the mandate for some federal employees and healthcare workers. A vaccine mandate was also still on the books for teachers who participate in Head Start, the federal preschool program, though an earlier court ruling had technically voided it.