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Maine Health Care Worker Vaccine Mandate – October 1st

This afternoon Governor Mills announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all health care workers by an emergency amendment to 10-144 CMR, chapter 264- Immunization Requirements for HealthCare Workers. The complete document can be accessed here.
 
While the effective date of the rule is immediate, health care workers will have until October 1st to be fully vaccinated. The COVID-19 mandate applies to all health care workers including those who work in nursing homes, residential care facilities, hospitals, and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IDD). Paramedics and dental practitioners would also be covered.

The State of Maine has long required the immunization of employees of designated health care facilities to reduce the risk of exposure to, and possible transmission of, vaccine-preventable diseases. These immunizations include measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis B, and more recently, influenza. This existing rule has now been amended to include the COVID-19 vaccine. The organizations to which this requirement applies must ensure that each employee is vaccinated, with this requirement being enforced as a condition of the facilities' licensure.
 
MHCA supports vaccinations for health care workers and this action brings parity across all health care settings. As the impact of the Delta variant continues to unfold, this action helps to protect our most vulnerable residents. The vaccine is the best tool we have to end this pandemic.
 
Facilities that may need assistance with vaccine clinics should contact Maine CDC at 1-888-445-4111.

Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org