NLH says 23 employees quit due to vaccine needs

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – There is only one month left before the deadline for health workers in Maine to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

According to Northern Light Health, 23 employees resigned in response to the requirement.

Human Resources Director Paul Bolin says 88% of Northern Light’s staff are now in compliance.

All unvaccinated employees who do not want to be absent from work still have time to take the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

Those who choose Pfizer or Moderna will be removed from the program for up to two weeks after their second injection, when they are considered fully immunized.

“I think it’s important to know that if we have unvaccinated staff, those staff are incredibly likely to fall ill themselves, which also takes them out of the workforce. So, in terms of staff continuity, a fully vaccinated staff is much more resilient in avoiding COVID and sharing it with others. If people decide to leave, that would be very unfortunate. We don’t want that to happen, but if it does, we’ll have to adapt like we always do, ”said Paul Bolin, vice president of Northern Light Health.

Bolin says 1,200 staff members have been vaccinated in the past five weeks.

He encourages anyone who may still be on the fence to speak to their own primary care providers.

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