New York State is no longer requiring healthcare workers to receive a booster shot for the Chinese coronavirus — a rule that was set to go into effect Monday, February 21.
According to the Department of Health, the booster shot mandate on healthcare workers will no longer go into effect, attributing it to potential staffing issues, although officials will review the decision three months from now.
“In order to avoid potential staffing issues and give healthcare workers more time to get boosted, the State will no longer enforce the booster requirement that will go into effect on February 21,” the DOH said in a statement.
“The State will reassess in three months whether additional steps need to be taken to increase booster rates among the healthcare workforce. The original vaccination requirement for healthcare workers remains in effect,” it added.
According to DOH totals, 75 percent of the state’s healthcare workers have been boosted.
New York Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) deemed the reversal a “win for our healthcare heroes.”
“It averted what would have truly been a disaster for Upstate hospitals and the communities they serve. However, it is not the end of the fight. Our hospitals are still facing unprecedented staffing shortages because of Governor Hochul’s existing vaccine mandate,” she said.
“Many local providers have experienced a 100 percent increase in staff turnover, and upstate hospitals are facing a 25 percent vacancy rate. Just to continue delivering vital services, hospitals have been forced to rely on visiting nurses or even the National Guard,” she continued, urging the governor to reverse the existing vaccine mandate on healthcare workers as well.
“Governor Hochul should not stop at just scrapping the booster mandate – she should also reverse her existing vaccine mandate for healthcare workers to ensure our communities have access to the care they deserve and that our healthcare heroes can return to work doing what they love,” she added.