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Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester to require staff vaccinations by end of year

New Hampshire Union Leader - 10/23/2021

Oct. 23—The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester will require its staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the year.

The announcement comes as hospitals in Manchester and Nashua move to require vaccines. Rik Cornell, the center's vice president for communications, said it made sense to hold their staff to the same standard as hospitals because staff and patients move between the hospitals and the center — and because center leadership said they want to encourage more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

"We really feel strongly that our staff be vaccinated. We really feel strongly it's part of our mission and vision to promote a healthy community," Cornell said. "At some point in time as an agency you have to say — we're a health care agency. We're an agency that promotes good, healthy living."

About 50 of the center's nearly 500 staff have not been vaccinated or approved for medical or religious exemptions, Cornell said.

"There may very well be a few people who decide they don't want to continue to work with us," Cornell said, but the center will stand firm, he said. "We're not going to change the mandate because of that."

In 2020, Cornell said, the center mandated the flu vaccine for all its employees. He said one or two left the center rather than get vaccinated. He expects this new mandate could also push one or two people to leave.

"I just think it's unfortunate. Because the people we choose to have work here are people we care very deeply about," he said.

At the same time, Cornell said, it did not make sense to bend the rules for people without valid medical issues or sincerely-held religious beliefs.

"We can't let some people make the decision to not, and mandate everyone else."

Cornell said he also thinks the requirement could nudge people toward vaccination.

"I think there are already people who are waiting for a mandate," he said, who have decided they will get vaccinated if their jobs require it.

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