NOVEMBER 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 43
COVID-19 ROUNDUP
LATEST PANDEMIC HEADLINES
NORTHWELL HEALTH
TERMINATES 1,400
WORKERS FOR FAILING TO
GET COVID-19 VACCINE
Northwell Health has terminated 1,400
staff ers for failing to get the Covid-19
vaccine by the New York State-mandated
deadline of Sept. 27, the state’s largest
medical group confi rmed Oct. 4.
The terminations make up nearly 2%
of the New Hyde Park-based nonprofit’s
work force, which now stands at
76,000 employees across 23 hospitals
across Long Island, New York City
and Westchester. The fi gure, which
includes clinical and nonclinical staff ,
is nearly the equivalent of the staff of
the entire Peconic Bay Medical Center
in Riverhead being fi red at once.
“Northwell Health is proud to announce
that our workforce … is 100 percent
vaccinated,” the hospital chain said in a
statement. “This allows us to continue
to provide exceptional care at all of our
facilities, without interruption and
remain open and fully operational.”
The state health department issued
a deadline mandating that all healthcare
workers receive at least their
fi rst Covid-19 shot, triggering a rush
by hospitals to get their employees
inoculated. The inoculation push
comes as President Joe Biden and other
state and federal political leaders
ratchet up pressure on unvaccinated
Americans, some of whom object
to mandates on religious or health
grounds. A federal judge in Albany
temporarily ordered New York state
offi cials to allow religious exemptions
for the state-imposed vaccine mandate
on healthcare workers.
Other hospital groups on LI have said
most of their staff ers are inoculated,
but have yet to provide statistics on
terminations following the vaccine
deadline.
-TB
U.S. FDA CLEARS
MODERNA, J&J COVID
BOOSTERS, BACKS USE OF
DIFFERENT VACCINE FOR
BOOST
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
on Oct. 20 authorized booster doses of
the Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna
Inc and Johnson & Johnson, and said
Americans can choose a diff erent shot
from their original inoculation as a
booster.
That means all three vaccines authorized
in the United States can also be
given as boosters to some groups.
“The availability of these authorized
boosters is important for continued
protection against Covid-19 disease,” Acting
FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock
said in a statement. She noted that data
suggests vaccine eff ectiveness may wane
over time in some fully vaccinated people.
The decision paves the way for millions
in the United States to get the additional
protection as the highly contagious
Delta variant of the virus causes breakthrough
infections among some who
are fully vaccinated.
The agency previously authorized
boosters of the Pfi zer Inc Covid-19 vaccine
developed with German partner
BioNTech SE at least six months aft er the
fi rst round of shots to increase protection
for people aged 65 and older, those at
risk of severe disease and those who are
exposed to the virus through their work.
-Reuters
U.S. FDA TO ALLOW
MIXING AND MATCHING OF
COVID-19 BOOSTERS, NYT
REPORTS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
is planning to allow Americans to get
a diff erent booster shot of a Covid-19
vaccine than the one initially taken, The
New York Times reported on Oct. 18.
The FDA in September authorized a
booster dose of Pfi zer Inc and partner
BioNTech’s two-shot Covid-19 vaccine
for those aged 65 and older and some
high-risk Americans.
The regulator’s advisory panel has also
backed the use of Moderna, Inc and
Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine
booster shots.
The government would not recommend
one shot over another, and it might note
that using the same vaccine as a booster
when possible is preferable, the NYT
report said, citing people familiar with
the agency’s plans.
The FDA declined to comment on the
matter.
-Reuters
HOCHUL SAYS
NY WILL APPEAL
“DISAPPOINTING”
COURT DECISION
ON COVID VACCINE
MANDATE
Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed Oct. 13
she will appeal a federal judge’s ruling
that allows healthcare workers to ask
for a religious exemption to the state’s
Covid-19 vaccine mandate.
“There was a disappointing decision
yesterday pertaining to our vaccine
mandate, which I will stand behind
any day of the week,” Hochul told
reporters at her Manhattan office
during an Oct. 13 press briefing.
“We’ll be appealing this in the 2nd
Circuit, we’ll be working on those
papers right now, working with the
attorney general’s office as well.”
A federal judge upstate sided with a
group of 17 healthcare workers who
sued the state for its decision to end
religious exemptions for getting the
mandatory shot.
U.S. District Judge David Hurd for
New York’s Northern District in
Utica granted a preliminary injunction
on Oct. 12 saying the state’s rule
violated healthcare workers’ federal
workplace protections giving them
the right to seek a religious exemption —
even if their employer ends up denying
the request.
-Kevin Duggan, amNewYork Metro
PRESS HEALTH
Vials labeled “Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer-BioNTech Coronavirus Covid-19 vaccine” are seen in this illustration
picture taken May 2, 2021. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
