News

Maine’s largest health system to require staff vaccinations

Photo: 560 WGAN Newsradio


PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Maine’s largest healthcare system is going to make COVID-19 vaccinations a requirement for employment, officials said Tuesday.

MaineHealth, parent of Maine Medical Center, becomes the largest health care provider to require all workers to be vaccinated, joining dozens of hospitals and health systems across the country.

Dr. Dora-Anne Mills, chief health improvement officer of MaineHealth, said it’s “paramount that all care team members be vaccinated.”

“The vaccines are very effective, and are preventing hospitalizations and health complications with COVID-19. In addition, the vaccines are proven safe — we have a full year of data from the clinical trials and almost 200 million Americans have received a COVID-19 vaccination,” she said.

MaineHealth becomes the first system with a hard deadline for staffers to be vaccinated. The new policy goes into effect on Oct. 1, healthcare officials said. Nearly 84% of workers had been vaccinated as of late last month.

The announcement came a day after another large healthcare network, Northern Light Health, announced that staff must be vaccinated against COVID-19 once the vaccines are fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Last week, Millinocket Regional Hospital became the first to announce a vaccination requirement. It’s requiring staff to be fully vaccinated with either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines within six weeks of final FDA approval.

Latest Headlines

5 hours ago in Local

Two Women Arrested After High Speed Chase from Maine to Canada

Officers say the chase went north on I-95 at a high speed and continued through the U.S. port of entry into Canada.

6 hours ago in Local

Police Say Biddeford Homeless Man Caught With $14,000 in Drugs

Maine drug enforcement agents and police say they conducted a two-month investigation.

7 hours ago in Local

Maine to use more than $1 million to fund food banks as SNAP benefits run out

Gov. Janet Mills says she's directing more than $1 million to help feed Mainers who rely on SNAP benefits during the government shutdown.

7 hours ago in Local

Man sentenced to life for killing 4 in Bowdoin dies in prison

A man serving life behind bars for the killing of his parents and two others in Bowdoin has died in prison.

9 hours ago in Trending, World

Paris prosecutor says 2 suspects in the Louvre jewel heist admit their involvement

Two suspects in the Louvre jewel heist have admitted their involvement and are believed to be the men who forced their way into the world's most visited museum, a Paris prosecutor said Wednesday.