New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) this week clarified that long-term care and other healthcare workers are in compliance with the state’s vaccination requirements once they obtain one booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Booster compliance among healthcare workers remains low to date.
The governor’s an executive order, signed Wednesday, came after Monday’s deadline passed that required those workers to have received their COVID-19 booster shot or face the possibility of losing their jobs. The deadline for high-risk congregate care settings was extended to May 11 earlier this year, New Jersey Business Magazine reported.
The percentage of workers at Garden State nursing homes, assisted living communities and other residential care settings who received a booster dose had increased from 39% in early March to almost 79% by Tuesday, according to state data reported by northjersey.com. Nonetheless, thousands of unboosted workers remain in congregate care settings, the media outlet said.
The executive order clarifies that a second booster dose is not required, although in recent weeks, the Food and Drug Administration has authorized a second booster dose for people aged 50 or more years as well as for those who are immunocompromised.
“Healthcare organizations are walking a delicate balance between protecting against COVID and ensuring New Jersey’s healthcare workforce continues to work in New Jersey,” New Jersey Hospital Association CEO Cathy Bennett told northjersey.com.
Neighboring state New York declined in February to enforce discipline for those who did not comply that state’s COVID-19 vaccine booster mandate for healthcare workers amid concerns over possible staffing issues, The Hill reported at the time.
