Hospitals Fear Staffing Shortages as Vaccine Deadlines Loom

With ultimatums taking effect this week in states across the U.S., the fear is that employees will quit or let themselves be fired or suspended rather than get the vaccine

By Heather Hollingsworth and Tammy Webber • Published September 27, 2021 • Updated on September 30, 2021 at 1:40 pm

A medical worker treats a COVID-19 patient in a hospital — Go Nakamura | Getty Images

Hospitals and nursing homes around the country are bracing for worsening staff shortages as state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. With such rules taking effect this week in states New York, California and Rhode Island, the fear is that some employees will quit or let themselves be fired or suspended rather than get the vaccine. In New York State, some hospitals have already begun suspending or otherwise removing holdouts.