Posted on 02/19/2022 8:16:40 AM PST by george76
New York state health officials announced that the state's COVID vaccine booster mandate for healthcare workers will not be enforced, citing potential staffing shortages should workers be forced out of their job for refusing to get boosted.
"The vaccine and booster are critical tools to keep both healthcare workers and their patients safe, and we continue to urge everyone to get vaccinated and receive a booster dose when eligible," State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said in a statement Friday.
The announcement comes ahead of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's requirement issued last month mandating that healthcare workers be boosted against the coronavirus by Feb. 21.
Bassett said in her statement that the state would endure "substantial staffing issues" should the mandate be enforced but noted that officials will reassess measures to increase booster rates in three months.
"While we are making progress with 75% of staff received or are willing to receive their booster, the reality is that not enough healthcare workers will be boosted by next week's requirement in order to avoid substantial staffing issues in our already overstressed healthcare system," she said. "That is why we are announcing additional efforts to work closely with healthcare facilities and ensure that our healthcare workforce is up to date on their doses."
The state's efforts to increase the booster vaccination rate of healthcare workers will include bringing boosters directly to healthcare settings.
Among healthcare staff in the state, 95% of hospice workers, and 84% of hospital workers are boosted. But other areas, such as nursing home staff at 51% and adult care facilities at 63 percent, have much lower booster rates.
Healthcare workers in the state will still have to adhere to the original vaccine mandate.
Who better than healthcare workers are in a position to manage their own healthcare, jab or no jab?
Repressive Commies set aside their supposedly sincere worship of science if it becomes convenient.
RE: Already fired workers for this....
Does the article mean new firings of ones not yet fired?
Does that mean the earlier ones can sue now?
Or are they safe from lawsuits like Big Pharma and the governors?
So they fire healthcare workers and then realize they have a shortage, so they will suspend shots but the rest were fired for not taking them. Bet lawyers are on speed dial.
They’ve already fired everyone who hasn’t gotten any shots. They’re only talkin about firing people who refuse to get a third shot. Not much of a victory in my opinion.
It’s a shame everybody didn’t refuse the job in the first place and they would have broken this thing early on. These people have already had two jabs they’re already screwed.
The State is lying about hospital staff receiving the booster. It is NOT 84% and they know it. Nurses, doctors and staff are telling Hochal where to stick her mandate big time.
Imagine that.
Too bad they didn’t do it earlier instead of destroying people’s lives and careers over a stupid, unnecessary policy.
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