The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) requires all health care personnel to be vaccinated annually against influenza and to receive the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine doses by March 31, 2026. Facilities may exempt individuals from this requirement under their policies, which should include risk mitigation measures that go beyond additional practices put in place during the respiratory virus season. Health care workers are encouraged to self-assess for any signs or symptoms of illness and stay home from work if they are sick. 

Licensed facilities are required to report influenza vaccination data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Health Safety Network, where the data are also available to DPH. Facilities not required to report to CDC must report COVID vaccincation data to DPH via REDCap. 

“Protecting patients begins with protecting the people who care for them,” said Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, M.D., Ph.D. “The importance of health care workers staying up to date on flu and COVID-19 vaccines is grounded in science and evidence – and it is a simple, essential measure that honors our commitment to helping people live healthier lives.”  

While DPH previously aligned with CDC for vaccination recommendations, it now looks to other science- and evidence-based sources for guidance, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Infectious Disease Society of America and the American Academy of Family Physicians. In addition, Massachusetts DPH participates in the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a voluntary regional coalition of public health agencies formed earlier this year to support evidence-based public health, including vaccination recommendations.