Health Care Workers, Teachers, and State Government Employees Are Overwhelmingly Complying with Vaccine Requirements
As President Biden’s vaccine requirement for health care workers goes into effect this week, it’s important to remember that the vast majority of people whose workplaces require vaccines get vaccinated and keep their jobs.
Republicans can make a lot of noise about the small number of people who are fired for not complying with these requirements, but most people recognize that vaccines are the most effective tool we have to combat COVID-19.
Below, a roundup of articles cutting through the noise:
New York City’s Vaccine Mandate Results In The Firing Of Less Than 1 Percent Of City Employees. “New York City fired 1,430 city workers on Friday for failing to comply with its vaccine mandate, a figure that represent less than 1 percent of the city’s work force…Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday that 1,428 workers, who had already been on unpaid leave for months, were sent termination notices after they failed to receive a first dose of the vaccine…Mr. Adams celebrated that many of the city’s 370,000 workers got vaccinated by the deadline. About 95 percent of the city’s workers have received at least one dose of the vaccine, an increase from 84 percent when the mandate was first announced in October.” [New York Times, 2/14/22]
More Than 99 Percent Of San Diego School Employees Comply With COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate. “San Diego Unified has sent termination notices to 73 workers, out of its roughly 15,000 employees, for failing to comply with the school district’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate…Now, more than 99% of employees are either fully vaccinated or have received an exemption to the mandate, according to district data.” [Los Angeles Times, 1/24/22]
Less Than 3 Percent of Massachusetts State Workers Fail To Comply With Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Mandate. “Out of 41,632 Executive Department employees, more than 97% complied…But so far, 1,013 people are no longer employed by the commonwealth due to their failure to comply with Baker’s strict executive order…” [MassLive, 2/11/22]
Mississippi Hospital Reports Widespread COVID-19 Vaccination Compliance. “‘The reaction has gone surprisingly well, currently we are at 98 percent compliant with the mandate for CMS and that includes the 84 percent that are currently vaccinated, fully vaccinated believe it or not.’” [WXXV 25, 2/14/22]
Montana Hospital Cites High Rate Of COVID-19 Vaccination Compliance, Pushing Back On Gianforte’s Claims. “St. Peter’s said about 85% of their workforce is already vaccinated against COVID-19. ‘We anticipate having very few, if any, voluntary resignations because of the mandate or personnel who are unable to work due to noncompliance.’…St. Peter’s leaders said they continue to strongly encourage all employees and community members to get vaccinated.n‘We firmly believe the safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines are lifesaving and the best tool to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our community against the virus’…In Montana, state leaders, including Gov. Greg Gianforte, have consistently argued the federal mandate is unlawful and that it would have a negative impact on hospital staffing, particularly in rural areas. Attorney General Austin Knudsen has filed several court challenges seeking to block enforcement of the rule.” [KTVH, 2/14/22]
University Of Pittsburgh Continues To See High Vaccination Through Incentives And Mandates. “During 2021, incentives and later a mandate yielded a vaccination rate among students and employees of 96% across Pitt’s five campuses. In rough numbers, that suggested that as of early January, the unvaccinated population was less than 2,000, although some of those may have been granted exemptions from vaccination for religious or medical reasons. Others could be working toward compliance.” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2/11/22]
Few Pittsburgh City Employees Refuse To Comply With COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate. “Four city of Pittsburgh employees have been fired for failing to comply with the city’s covid-19 vaccination mandate, according to Mayor Ed Gainey’s office. Former Mayor Bill Peduto announced in November that all city employees would be required to be fully vaccinated against the virus — except those with a religious or medical exemption. The city began disciplining employees for failing to meet the requirement in late December through a progressive disciplinary policy.” [TribLive, 2/11/22]
VA Workers Overwhelming Comply With COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate. “Roughly 90% of the VA’s workforce has complied with the department’s vaccine mandate, which set an Oct. 8 deadline for health care workers and those who interact with veterans. The deadline was Nov. 22 for all other employees…But roughly 3,000 employees, or less than 1% of the workforce, have not complied with a requirement to report their vaccination status.” [Military.com, 1/21/22]