Mandate Pushes Up Vaccine Rates In WA Health Care Workers

SEATTLE — The Washington State Hospital Association is crediting Gov. Jay Inslee's vaccine requirement with helping to spur a significant increase in vaccination among the state's health care workers.

Back in early August, Inslee announced Washington's first vaccine mandate, requiring that health care workers and state employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 18— or lose their jobs.

"We do so to protect our communities, to prevent further calamity to our state, and to once again be on the path to full recovery," the governor said at a conference Aug. 9. "We will be requiring our state workers and our contractors who come on to our sites and workers in private health care and long-term care settings to be vaccinated as a condition of further employment."

The governor said limited exceptions would be offered for medical reasons or "sincerely held religious beliefs" but that the overwhelming majority of health care workers would be held to that deadline. Several other mandates have been announced in the weeks since, including mandates for teachers and state firefighters.

Now, as the deadline approaches, the Washington State Hospital Association says it's had an impact: A recent WSHA survey of 94 percent of Washington's hospitals found that 88 percent of hospital workers are now vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Washington hospitals continue to urge their staff to get vital COVID-19 vaccines," said Cassie Sauer, CEO of the Washington State Hospital Association. "We are pleased that most hospitals and health systems have achieved a high rate of vaccination, which will allow patients to continue to access life-saving care across Washington State. We know there will be some impacts on services, and we will continue to support hospitals and health systems in navigating the vaccine requirement.”

WSHA has not uncovered the vaccination rate prior to Inslee's mandate, but say the governor's actions caused a "significant increase" in COVID-19 vaccination rates in most hospitals.

The survey also touches on concerns that the vaccine requirement will cause health care workers to vacate their positions at a time when the state needs them most. Staff shortages have been an ongoing concern during the record-breaking fifth wave of COVID infections, and with 12 percent of workers unvaccinated and at risk of losing their positions, that could worsen.

“It is clear that staffing remains constrained across the health care system and the loss of staff will have an impact on patients, including continued delays for less urgent procedures and longer waits for outpatient appointments,” Sauer said.

Of those 12 percent of unvaccinated workers, some are partially vaccinated, and others have applied for and receive exemptions to the mandates, or are awaiting a review of their exemption request. Currently, WSHA says it estimates between two and five percent of hospital staff could leave the workforce because of the vaccination requirement, though the final number will likely not be fully known until early next month.