New York state officials are abandoning a requirement that health care workers receive COVID-19 booster shots by Feb. 21 in order to avoid "potential staffing issues," the state Department of Health on Friday announced. 

State officials will reasess in three months whether there will need to be "additional steps" for increasing booster shot rates among health care workers. The initial requirement that health care workers be vaccinated remains in effect. 

Hospitals and health care facilities have faced a staffing shortage over the last several months, which officials have blamed on pandemic fatigue as well as vaccine refusal by many health care workers. 

State health officials also plan to expand their efforts for booster shot access, including bringing doses of the vaccine directly to health care facilities. 

“The vaccine and booster are critical tools to keep both healthcare workers and their patients safe, and we continue to urge everyone to get vaccinated and receive a booster dose when eligible,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “While we are making progress with 75% of staff received or are willing to receive their booster, the reality is that not enough healthcare workers will be boosted by next week’s requirement in order to avoid substantial staffing issues in our already overstressed healthcare system. That is why we are announcing additional efforts to work closely with healthcare facilities and ensure that our healthcare workforce is up to date on their doses.” 

Eighty-eight percent of staff at direct care hospitals have received a third booster dose of the vaccine. 

The move was applauded by the industry. Healthcare Association of New York State President Bea Grause said the announcement "struck the right balance" to encourage booster doses. 

"New York’s hospitals and nursing homes will keep up the drive to get health care workers vaccinated as we continue our fight against COVID-19," she said. "This relentless pandemic has stretched the healthcare workforce to its limits. The state’s actions today will help ensure healthcare providers can continue to provide safe, compassionate care to their communities across New York while working to achieve compliance with this revised booster requirement."