CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A requirement to get vaccinated against COVID-19 kicks in Thursday for millions of health care workers in about half the states.
The mandate is starting first in states that didn't challenge the rule from the Biden administration. It will take effect later in February for 25 other states that had filed lawsuits.
The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month lifted injunctions that had put the vaccine mandate on hold, The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it won't immediately resort to penalties for health facilities that have a plan to try to achieve full compliance by their staff.
WCNC Charlotte is part of seven major media companies and other local institutions reporting on and engaging the community around the problems and solutions as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.