New York delays enforcement of healthcare worker booster mandate
The move was made to avoid potential staffing issues and to give healthcare workers more time to comply.
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While mandated booster shots for healthcare workers in New York will technically remain in effect, the state will not begin enforcing the mandate today as planned, citing the need for more time for workers to comply.
A statement from the New York State Department of Health indicates the move was made to avoid potential staffing issues.
Enforcement of the booster requirement was slated to begin today, but the state will instead reassess the situation after three months, and will determine at that time whether more steps need to be taken to increase booster rates among the healthcare workforce.
The original vaccine requirement for healthcare workers remains in effect. That requirement went into effect in September and reportedly prompted thousands of healthcare workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the governor's office, 84% of hospital staff in New York were fully vaccinated as of this past autumn.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT
The New York State Department of Health released figures last week showing a fairly high rate of compliance with the booster mandate, with 75% of the state's healthcare workforce either receiving the dose or willing to receive one.
The state said it would continue to work closely with hospitals and healthcare facilities to ensure employees are up to date on their vaccines and boosters, and further efforts will focus on expanding access to the booster shots, including bringing boosters directly to healthcare settings.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said via statement that the vaccine and booster are "critical tools" to protect workers and their families.
However, "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."
According to the data, hospice workers have the highest rates of compliance in the state where boosters are concerned, at 95%. Hospital and certified home health agency workers show 84% compliance. Nursing homes showed the lowest rates of compliance at 51%.
THE LARGER TREND
New York's booster mandate was announced in January. Upon its announcement, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said hospitalizations in the state have remained fairly steady, an indication that the New York healthcare system is currently able to handle the capacity. This, according to Hochul, is partly attributable to the booster shots, as it's been rare to see someone admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 when they've had a third shot.
And while staffing has been tight, the impact of the Omicron variant has been less severe than other variants, such as Delta, meaning hospital staff are coming back to work in increasing numbers, coming close to a sort of workable equilibrium.
The required booster shots are designed to maintain this equilibrium and keep staff healthy – which, according to the mandate, means no exemptions other than a medical exemption and no test-out options.
The mandate came months after Hochul issued an executive order declaring a statewide disaster emergency due to healthcare staffing shortages.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
