California to require COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers

California will require all of its roughly 2.2 million health care workers and long-term care workers to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by September 30 as the nation's most populous state is losing ground in the battle against new infections of a more dangerous COVID variant.

The order, issued Thursday by the California Department of Public Health, is different than what Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said last month when he announced health care workers would have the choice of either getting vaccinated or submitting to weekly testing. Now, the order does not give health care workers a choice. It says all must be fully vaccinated by the end of September, with exceptions for people who decline the vaccine because of a religious belief or workers who cannot be inoculated because of a qualifying medical reason backed up by a note signed by a licensed medical professional.