Nebraska health care workers must get vaccinated by Feb. 14

The deadline for this nationwide mandate will impact millions

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Unvaccinated health care workers in Nebraska have until Feb. 14 to receive their first dose, and must be fully vaccinated by March 15.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that health care workers must get vaccinated despite Nebraska’s pushback.  Nebraska, Iowa, and 23 other states challenged the federal government to no avail.  The other 25 states that did not challenge the mandate have earlier requirements, with the first dose being required by Jan. 28, and full vaccination by Feb. 27.

The mandate is in place for workers at major facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid money, which includes nursing homes and hospitals.  It’ll affect 10.4 million workers and 76,000 medical facilities in the nation.

Some facility leaders are concerned that this mandate could cause even more issues with the staffing shortage.  Workers can opt out of the mandate by seeking religious or medical exemption.

The states included in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision include the following: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

For more information, visit here.