ATLANTA — Tuesday marked the final deadline for Georgia health care workers to get their second COVID-19 vaccine dose or a valid exemption to keep their jobs.
Several hospitals reported their employee vaccination levels were as high as 99%. Nursing homes in Georgia reached at least 88%. Under the federal law, health workers in a wide range of fields were required to either get vaccinated or to obtain an employer-approved waiver based on medical or religious reasons.
While public health experts say vaccine requirements are critical to prevent the spread of the virus, the federally imposed mandate created worries that health care workers would walk rather than comply. That could leave health care facilities — particularly in rural areas, which are often more vaccine-hesitant than metro Atlanta — strained and understaffed.
