
NH Hospital to Require COVID-19 Booster Shot for Staff
After requiring all its employees to take the COVID-19 vaccination, Wentworth-Dougass Hospital will now mandate the booster shot.
The Dover hospital is following the policy set by owner Mass General Brigham.
“As a community of caregivers, we hold the patient at the center of all we do. It is essential that we take this action to ensure the safest clinical environment for our patients and their families and our employees," Anne Klibanski, MD, President and CEO of Mass General Brigham said in a statement.
All staff will be required to provide proof of receiving the booster by March 1. Those who complete their primary vaccine series after August 1, 2021 are required to receive a vaccine booster shot by June 30, 2022.
The hospital said it has a 100% compliance rate for its COVID-19 vaccination requirement which took effect in October.
Wentworth-Douglass Is The Only Seacoast Hospital Requiring Jab
COVID-19 vaccinations are not required for workers at Portsmouth Hospital, or Frisbee Memorial Hospital. Maine requires all hospital workers to be vaccinated, while workers at Exeter Hospital and Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport are also required to show proof of getting the COVID-19 jab.
Many organizations, municipalities and businesses are requiring their vaccinated workforce to also get the booster shot. However, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky during the White House COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday said that the booster will not be required to be considered fully vaccinated.
"Individuals are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if they’ve received their primary series. That definition is not changing," Walensky said.
New Hampshire's number of positive cases reached its highest level since the start of the pandemic with 12,149 active cases. Hospitalizations continued their decline, with 369 people currently hospitalized for COVID-19.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH
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