Vaccine requirement approved by State Board of Health Monday

The State Board of Health has approved emergency rules requiring vaccination for staff in licensed health care settings.

The board met Monday, Aug. 30, to consider a request from Gov. Jared Polis to implement rules requiring licensed health care facilities to mandate their personnel — including employees, direct contractors and support staff — who interact with individuals seeking medical care to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of October.

The vaccine requirement is limited to only those health care facilities that are listed in Colorado Revised Statute 25-1.5-103(1)(a)(1). The department does not have authority over individual health care practitioners or staff, nor does it oversee other settings where patients seek medical care, including primary care offices and urgent care locations.

According to an article in The Denver Post, the vaccine mandate allows for individuals to seek medical or religious exemptions from their employers. Individual health care facilities will set the specific guidelines for what qualifies as an exemption, and facilities will be able to seek waivers from the state to allow for less than 100% of their employees to be vaccinated. Such facilities will be required to present plans for mitigating COVID-19.

At this time, approximately 30% of the health care workforce remains unvaccinated in Colorado.

The Board of Health will convene again in October to consider the rule in a regular session.