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Are COVID-19 vaccines required for health care workers in Connecticut hospitals?
by Mariana Navarrete Villegas and Reginald David, CT Mirror August 27, 2025
1
No.
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.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
CT Mirror partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims.
Mariana Navarrete Villegas is a Community Engagement Reporter for The Connecticut Mirror, covering Hartford. She recently graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism with a master’s degree in Bilingual Journalism. Previously, she was the Community Engagement and Video Assistant at Epicenter-NYC and a Podcast Intern at The Take, Al Jazeera English’s daily news podcast. As a reporter, she has covered stories from New York to Florida, California, Panama, and Mexico, focusing on labor rights, immigration, and community care. She also hosts 'La Chismesita,' a community radio show in New York that archives oral histories through conversations with women community leaders. Originally from Mexico, Mariana spent her teenage years in Panama. She holds a B.A. in Global Studies with a minor in Psychology from Saint Leo University, where she interned at the International Rescue Committee.
Reginald David is the Community Engagement Reporter for CT Mirror. He builds relationships across Connecticut to elevate community voices and deepen public dialogue around local issues. Previously, he was a producer at KCUR 89.3, Kansas City’s NPR station, where he created community-centered programming, led live event coverage for major events like the NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Parade, and Royals Opening Day, and launched KC Soundcheck, a music series spotlighting local and national artists. Reginald has also hosted special segments, including an in-depth interview with civil rights leader Alvin Brooks and live community coverage on issues like racial segregation and neighborhood development. He began his public media career as an ‘Integrity in News’ intern at WNPR in Hartford.
