COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate Produced 98.7% Adherence

Vaccine mandates have been used for over 150 years in the United States to preserve public health, wrote researchers in a new study published by the journal Vaccines.

Announced on July 28, 2023, this retrospective cohort study examined COVID-19 vaccine uptake before and after implementing a vaccine mandate among employees at a major academic hospital in Philadelphia, PA. 

In the 3.5 months between the mandate announcement to enforcement, COVID-19 vaccine completion rates for staff rapidly increased from 86% to 98.7%.

These University of Pennsylvania researchers evaluated COVID-19 vaccine coverage before and after they were required to receive two doses of a mRNA vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by September 1, 2021.

COVID-19 vaccine uptake was assessed among a cohort of 10,889 healthcare providers who were employed as of December 16, 2020, and remained employed as of May 19, 2021.

The cohort's median age was 39, 64.4% were female, and 51.1% were physicians or nurses. The population was 60.9% White, 20.3% Black, 12.6% Asian, and 3.7% Hispanic/Latino.

And from a legal perspective, the constitutionality of mandatory smallpox vaccination was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court (Jacobson v. Massachusetts) 1905.

In the U.S., the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released regulatory changes to the COVID-19 healthcare staff vaccination requirements and long-term care facility testing requirements on May 31, 2023.

Besides COVID-19, most states require various vaccinations (flu shots, hepatitis, measles, polio, etc.) to reduce disease outbreaks in academic settings.

For example, significant measles under-vaccinations were reported in students in Louisville, KY, and Columbus, OH., leading to disease outbreaks. As of July 7, 2023, the CDC reported 18 measles cases in twelve jurisdictions in 2023 and 121 measles cases in 2022.

As of July 31, 2023, the U.S. CDC's Public Health Law Program compiles state statutes and regulations regarding school vaccinations. For more information, please visit the State School and Childcare Vaccination Laws.