Health & Fitness

NY Health Care Workers May Face COVID Booster Mandate This Month

"We anticipate swift approval," Gov. Hochul said of the US's first booster mandate for health care workers. "It'll take effect immediately."

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A sign outside of a New York City hospital advertises the COVID-19 vaccine on Nov. 19.
A sign outside of a New York City hospital advertises the COVID-19 vaccine on Nov. 19. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY — New York health care workers will likely face a mandate to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot this month, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday.

New York could become the first U.S. state to implement such a booster mandate, which the governor said will be reviewed by a state health board next Tuesday.

"But health care workers will be asked to do this, with no exemptions other than a medical exemption and no test out options," she said. "We're the first state in the nation to institute this."

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Gov. Kathy Hochul said health care workers in New York soon will face a strict COVID-19 vaccine booster mandate. (NY Governor's Office)

The mandate will require health care workers to get boosters within two weeks of becoming eligible, according to the governor.

"We anticipate swift approval and it'll take effect immediately," Hochul said. "And we'll keep New Yorkers posted on the developments of this."

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