Following a drumbeat of demands for vaccinating health care workers, Northern Light Health on Monday said it will require its 12,000 employees to be inoculated against COVID-19 once the vaccine receives new federal approval that's now pending.
Workers must be vaccinated “as a condition of employment, with very few exceptions,” Maine’s second-largest health care system, based in Brewer, said in a news release.
As of July 19, almost 80% of Northern Light’s workforce had received one of the three vaccines currently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use. Northern Light workers who aren’t vaccinated must get their shots within six weeks after any of the vaccines receives full FDA licensing.
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) applied for a biologics license of its vaccine in May, and Moderna Inc. submitted an application for its medication in June. An application for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is expected later this year.
The FDA won’t comment on the timeline, but in published reports experts have predicted the Pfizer vaccine could be fully approved by late summer or early fall.
Mandates for COVID-19 vaccination have drawn strongly differing opinions among the public and politicians. Northern Light CEO Tim Dentry acknowledged the requirement could be unsettling for some employees.
“Our preference has always been to help staff make the right choice to receive the vaccine as soon as possible. With the emergency use being lifted and with clinical guidance we know the time is now to require it for all Northern Light employees,” he said.
“We carefully considered research, data, and trends — and safety must continue to be our absolute top priority. Getting vaccinated is the single most important and responsible step each of us can take.”
Rates vary, demand increases
Vaccination rates vary widely among the Maine's health care providers. For example, 78.8% of hospital workers statewide are vaccinated, while 70.7% of nursing home employees are, according to July 15 data from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
Among hospitals, rates at individual facilities ranged last month from 64.3% at Northern Light Mayo Hospital, in Dover-Foxcroft, to 92% at HealthSouth/Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford.
Millinocket Regional Hospital last week became the first hospital in the state to require COVID-19 vaccination for its workforce. Other hospitals in Maine have said they’re looking at such rules.
Meanwhile, scores of health care providers and other employers nationwide have recently made vaccination mandatory. Among them: the Veterans Health Administration, the state of California, New York City, the Mayo Clinic, Walmart Inc., Google and Walt Disney Co.
In some cases, there are exceptions for employees with certain jobs and health conditions, or who regularly show proof they are not infected by COVID-19.
In Maine, a growing number of small businesses are also requiring COVID-19 vaccination of employees and even of customers. Several Portland restaurants, for example, have recently said they will not serve patrons who aren’t inoculated.
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August 03, 2021 at 11:17PM
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Northern Light Health will require workers to get COVID-19 vaccine - Mainebiz
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