Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
With Legal Challenges Exhausted, How Many Health Workers Remain Unvaccinated?
Modern Healthcare: CMS Vaccine Policy Now Enforceable In All 50 States
The federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers can officially go into effect nationwide after a judge tossed out a challenge to the mandate from Texas on Wednesday. A judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted a temporary block of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requirement that employees at Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Texas. But Texas moved to dismiss the case on Tuesday following the Supreme Court's decision to let the CMS enforce the mandate while appeals are considered at lower courts. (Goldman, 1/19)
Politico: How Many Health Care Workers Are Vaccinated? It’s Anyone’s Guess
U.S. officials still don’t know exactly how many hospital workers remain unvaccinated, a blind spot that makes it difficult for public health officials to predict and assess vulnerabilities at facilities already facing staffing crises. The lack of reliable immunization data, more than a year after vaccines were first made available to health care workers, could most immediately complicate Biden administration efforts to get ahead of a surge, or assess how many federal personnel might be needed in a region and prop up overwhelmed hospital systems. (Levy, 1/19)
In nursing home news —
The CT Mirror: Lamont Orders Nursing Home Visitors To Be Vaccinated Or Tested For COVID
Gov. Ned Lamont on Wednesday issued a new emergency order requiring visitors to nursing homes to be vaccinated or have proof of a recent negative COVID test before they can enter a facility. “We know that some of the people who are most vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19 include those who live in nursing homes, which is why we need to be doing everything we can to protect them from this virus,” Lamont said. “This is one more precaution we can implement at these facilities to keep them safe.” (Altimari, 1/19)
KHN: Families Complain As States Require Covid Testing For Nursing Home Visits
As covid-19 cases rise again in nursing homes, a few states have begun requiring visitors to present proof that they’re not infected before entering facilities, stoking frustration and dismay among family members. Officials in California, New York, and Rhode Island say new covid testing requirements are necessary to protect residents — an enormously vulnerable population — from exposure to the highly contagious omicron variant. But many family members say they can’t secure tests amid enormous demand and scarce supplies, leaving them unable to see loved ones. And being shut out of facilities feels unbearable, like a nightmare recurring without end. (Graham, 1/20)
In other news about covid mandates —
AP: Starbucks Nixes Vaccine Mandate After Supreme Court Ruling
Starbucks is no longer requiring its U.S. workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, reversing a plan it announced earlier this month. In a memo sent Tuesday to employees, the Seattle coffee giant said it was responding to last week’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 6-3 vote, the court rejected the Biden administration’s plan to require vaccines or regular COVID testing at companies with more than 100 workers. (Durbin, 1/19)
The Washington Post: Carhartt Said Covid Vaccinations Remains Mandatory For Employees, Angering Conservatives On Twitter
Some conservatives and anti-vaccine pundits have targeted the company on social media in what appears to be the latest attempt to shame and boycott a company over its mandatory coronavirus vaccination policy for employees. The company has also faced protests from employees opposed to the vaccination policy in recent months. (Bella, 1/18)
Indianapolis Star: Indiana House Passes Bill Restricting Employer Vaccine Mandates Despite COVID-19 Surge
House lawmakers approved a bill by a 58-35 vote Tuesday that would gut most Indiana private vaccine mandates, striking a major blow to the usually influential business community amid a surge of COVID-19 cases. Eight Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill. The vote comes days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Biden administration doesn't have the authority to impose a vaccine mandate on private businesses, leaving the decision of how to address most vaccine mandates up to individual states, such as Indiana. (Lange, 1/18)
