Maine is one of the few states still requiring some kind of vaccine mandate.
QUICK FACTS:
- The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced in a press release that it will propose ending COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers.
- “While COVID-19 vaccination remains an important tool to protect public health,” the press release explained, “the vaccination requirement for health care workers achieved the intended benefits of saving lives, protecting health care capacity, and limiting the spread of the virus in Maine during the height of the pandemic.”
- “Maine health care professionals’ strong culture of patient safety has limited risk of severe COVID-19 being spread among staff and patients,” the release continued.
- The proposal comes as the science behind the vaccine and immunity continues to evolve.
- “The Department filed the proposed rule change with the Secretary of State today based on available clinical and epidemiological data about COVID-19, increased population immunity resulting from vaccination and prior infections, decreasing disease severity, improved treatments, and declining infection and death rates,” the statement read.
- Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said, “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maine has followed the science in developing policies to limit the spread of the virus.”
- “Today, a robust body of evolving evidence tells us that this requirement achieved its goals of saving lives and protecting health at a crucial time,” Lambrew added. “We continue to encourage all Maine people, including dedicated health care workers tending to Maine’s most vulnerable residents, to stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccination.”
- President of the Maine Hospital Association Steven Michaud similarly noted in the press release, “We support this science-based update to the rule and will continue to be guided by patient safety in our efforts to limit the spread of the virus and promote vaccination as a valuable tool to protect public health.”
- The proposal is expected to be adopted toward the end of 2023.
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS RESPOND:
- Maine’s Republican lawmakers celebrated the proposal in a statement.
- “We have known for close to two years that the governor’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement for health care and EMS workers only added to the severe shortage of those workers at a time when Maine citizens needed access to health care,” a statement from the group read.
- “Our members heard the cries of dedicated, caring health care and EMS workers who had to leave their professions because they chose not to receive COVID-19 vaccines after being hailed as heroes at the start of the pandemic.”
- Maine’s original vaccine mandate was one of the most severe in the U.S., resulting in almost 10% of Maine’s healthcare workers leaving their jobs.
- “When the science changed and workers who tested positive for COVID-19 were then allowed to work as long as they were vaccinated, we renewed our calls for justice and common sense,” the lawmakers said. “The mandate continued long after it was scientifically clear the vaccines did not prevent the spread of COVID-19 or keep people from getting it.”
- The statement noted that the lawmakers “appreciate that Maine DHHS has recognized the mandate does not serve any public health interest and begun the rulemaking process to repeal it. We urge the administration to expedite the process well before the stated end of 2023.”
BACKGROUND:
- American Faith reported that New York also plans to rescind COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers.
- “Due to the changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving vaccine recommendations, the New York State Department of Health has begun the process of repealing the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for workers at regulated health care facilities,” the state health department said.
- The decision follows a court case brought by doctors whose jobs were threatened after choosing not to be vaccinated.
