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                                                                                                 U.S. NEWS Thursday 27 January 2022
            Vaccine mandate to kick in for first wave of health workers




            By  DAVID  A.  LIEB  and                                                                                            dueling  federal  and  state
            HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH                                                                                               vaccination policies.
            Associated Press                                                                                                    Gov.  Ron  DeSantis,  a  Re-
            Health  care  workers  in                                                                                           publican  who  has  waged
            about  half  the  states  face                                                                                      a  legal  campaign  against
            a Thursday deadline to get                                                                                          coronavirus mandates, last
            their  first  dose  of  the  CO-                                                                                    year signed legislation that
            VID-19  vaccine  under  a                                                                                           forces businesses with vac-
            Biden  administration  man-                                                                                         cine  requirements  to  let
            date that will be rolled out                                                                                        workers opt out for medical
            across the rest of the coun-                                                                                        reasons,  religious  beliefs,
            try in the coming weeks.                                                                                            immunity  from  a  previous
            While  the  requirement  is                                                                                         infection,  regular  testing
            welcomed by some, others                                                                                            or  an  agreement  to  wear
            fear  it  will  worsen  already                                                                                     protective gear. Businesses
            serious  staff  shortages  if                                                                                       that fail to comply can be
            employees quit rather than                                                                                          fined $10,000 to $50,000 per
            comply.                                                                                                             violation. Asked if the state
            “We would like to see staff                                                                                         would  pursue  fines  against
            vaccinated.  We  think  that                                                                                        hospitals   that   enforce
            it’s the safest option for resi-                                                                                    the  federal  mandate,  a
            dents, which is our biggest                                                                                         spokeswoman for the Flori-
            concern,”  said  Marjorie                                                                                           da attorney general said all
            Moore,  executive  director   Cristina  Licup  receives  her  COVID-19  booster  shot  where  she  works  at  the  Hebrew  Home  at   employee  complaints  “will
            of VOYCE, a St. Louis Coun-  Riverdale in New York, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021.                        Associated Press  be thoroughly reviewed by
            ty,  Missouri,  nonprofit  that                                                                                     our office.”
            works  on  behalf  of  nursing  putting  record  numbers  of  It  is  taking  effect  first  in  ju-  three  of  the  roughly  180  Some  states  already  have
            home  residents.  “But  not  people in the hospital with  risdictions  that  didn’t  chal-  employees  are  quitting,  their  own  vaccine  require-
            having staff is also a really  COVID-19  while  sickening  lenge  the  requirement  in  and  several  others  have  ments  for  health  care
            big  concern,  because  the  many health workers.         court.  Those  include  some  sought  exemptions  from  workers.  In  California,  for
            neglect that happens as a  Nationwide,  about  81%  of  of  the  biggest  states,  with  the   vaccine   mandate,  example,  they  have  been
            result of that is severe and  nursing  home  staff  mem-  some  of  the  largest  popu-  said hospital spokeswoman  required  to  be  fully  vacci-
            very scary.”                 bers already were fully vac-  lations  of  senior  citizens,  Janice Reese.            nated  since  Sept.  30  and
            The  mandate  affects  a  cinated    as  of  earlier  this  among  them:  California,  “We are very fortunate that  must get a booster b y Feb.
            wide  swath  of  the  health  month, ranging from a high  Florida,  New  York  and  that  is  all  we  are  losing,”  1.
            care    industry,   covering  of 98% in Rhode Island to a  Pennsylvania.               she  said,  noting  that  the  The  federal  mandate  is
            doctors,   nurses,   techni-  low  of  67%  in  Missouri,  ac-  “There   absolutely   have  hospital was not in favor of  “better  late  than  never,”
            cians, aides and even vol-   cording to the federal Cen-  been  employee  resigna-     the  mandate.  “We  didn’t  said  Sal  Rosselli,  president
            unteers at hospitals, nursing  ters for Medicare & Medic-  tions  because  of  vaccina-  feel like it was our place to  of  the  National  Union  of
            homes, home-health agen-     aid Services. The data is un-  tion  requirements,”  said  actually try to tell a person  Healthcare Workers, which
            cies  and  other  providers  clear  about  the  vaccina-  Catherine Barbieri, a Phila-  what they had to do.”       represents  about  15,000
            that participate in the fed-  tion  levels  in  hospitals  and  delphia  attorney  who  rep-  Reese said the vaccine re-  people  in  California.  “But
            eral Medicare or Medicaid  other health care sites.       resents health care provid-  quirement could also make  if  it  happened  sooner,
            programs.                    The mandate ultimately will  ers. But “I think it’s relatively  it more difficult for the hos-  we  wouldn’t  have  gone
            It  comes  as  many  places  cover  10.4  million  health  small.”                     pital to fill vacancies.     through  the  surge,  and  a
            are  stretched  thin  by  the  care  workers  at  76,000  fa-  At  Wilson  Medical  Center  In  Florida,  medical  centers  lot more people would be
            omicron  surge,  which  is  cilities.                     in  rural  Neodesha,  Kansas,  find  themselves  between  alive today.”q

            Pelosi to seek reelection with


            Democratic majority at risk


            By MICHAEL R. BLOOD          By  announcing  she  would  White House typically loses
            AP Political Writer          seek  a  19th  term,  Pelosi  seats  in  Congress  in  mid-
            LOS ANGELES (AP) — House  avoids  becoming  a  lame  term elections, and Demo-
            Speaker  Nancy  Pelosi  an-  duck in a year when Dem-     crats  are  defending  both
            nounced  Tuesday  she  will  ocrats  are  clinging  to  a  chambers  at  a  time  when
            seek  reelection,  ending  fragile majority in the House  President  Joe  Biden’s  ap-
            speculation that she would  and the party is under pres-  proval rating has been slip-
            retire  as  Democrats  face  sure  to  raise  vast  sums  of  ping.  “Our  democracy  is
            the  threat  of  losing  con-  money  to  defend  control  at risk because the assault
            trol of Congress in the 2022  of  Congress.    Her  decision  on the truth, assault on the
            midterms.  “While  we  have  to  remain  in  the  chamber  U.S. Capitol and the state-  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks during her
            made     progress,   much  follows announcements by  by-state  assault  on  voting     weekly press conference, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022 at the Capitol
            more  needs  to  be  done  29  House  Democrats  that  rights,” she added.             in Washington.
            to improve people’s lives,”  they won’t seek reelection  In  the  video,  Pelosi  never                                        Associated Press
            the  81-year-old  Pelosi  said  this  year,  compared  to  13  addresses  if  she  intends  to  crat made history 15 years  Earlier  this  month  in  an  in-
            in  an  online  video.  “This  Republicans  as  the  GOP  seek  another  term  as  the  ago when she became the  terview  with  The  Associat-
            election  is  crucial.  Noth-  looks  toward  taking  back  House’s  Democratic  lead-  first  female  speaker  of  the  ed Press, Pelosi only hinted
            ing less is at stake than our  the House.                 er, if reelected.            House.  She  has  served  in  at  another  run,  saying  she
            democracy,”  she  added.  The party that controls the  The  San  Francisco  Demo-      Congress since 1987.         “may” seek reelection. q
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