In light of coronavirus outbreaks at two Maine hospitals, and rising case numbers due to the Delta variant, Governor Janet Mills on Thursday announced a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers in the state.
Mills had been considering the mandate in recent days, according to her office.
According to reporting by the Bangor Daily News, a source familiar with the matter said that the mandate would be implemented through a change to state rules which already require workers in health care settings like hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities to get vaccinated for other illnesses like influenza.
“Given the elevated risk posed by the Delta variant, this is a prudent step in preventing COVID-19 from putting more Maine people at risk, especially those who care for others,” said Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah.
In a statement, Governor Mills also said that “With this requirement, we are protecting health care workers, their patients, including our most vulnerable, and our health care capacity. I continue to strongly urge all Maine people to get vaccinated because doing so may save your life, the life of a family member or friend, or the life of a child not yet eligible for a vaccine.”
Several of Maine’s hospital systems have already said they’ll enforce a vaccination requirement, including MaineHealth and Northern Light Health.
The mandate comes days after outbreaks were reported among staff at Maine Medical Center in Portland and Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast.
The Maine Hospital Association has previously called for a vaccination mandate for all healthcare workers.
Steven Michaud, the organization’s president, told the WGAN Morning News this week that although he expects most hospitals to have their own vaccination policies, he would rather see the state mandate vaccinations because then it would apply to all health care workers, including those at long-term care facilities, and not just hospital employees.
