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.
