New York will require healthcare workers to receive COVID-19 booster shots as cases and hospitalizations continue to climb statewide, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Jan. 7.
The mandate is pending approval from the New York Public Health and Health Planning Council, which is slated to discuss the requirement Jan. 11. Ms. Hochul said she expects a "swift approval" from the independent body. The mandate would take effect immediately after approval, requiring healthcare workers to receive a booster within two weeks of eligibility.
The mandate does not include a test-out option but does allow for some medical exemptions.
"Staff is getting sick. They're leaving," Ms. Hochul said during a Jan. 7 media briefing. "We need them to get well; we need them to have the best fortification they possibly can. And that means getting a booster shot as well."
The booster mandate comes about five months after New York announced a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for healthcare workers in August 2021. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request from healthcare workers to block enforcement of the mandate based on religious objections.