Are COVID-19 vaccines required for health care workers in Connecticut hospitals?

Connecticut law does not require health care workers in hospitals to receive COVID-19 vaccines, although it is now part of the facilities’ internal infection control and health frameworks, according to the Connecticut Hospital Association.

In 2021, the CHA adopted a statewide policy that endorsed mandatory vaccination for hospital health care workers. This was a hospital policy, not a state mandate.

But Gov. Ned Lamont also issued an executive order during the pandemic that required hospital employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and receive a booster if “eligible” under federal guidance. However, that mandate expired in February 2022.

That said, individual hospitals and health systems can still set their own rules. Some facilities recommend or require certain vaccines for staff, particularly in high-risk settings, but these are employer-level decisions rather than state mandates.