Unvaccinated French health care workers face suspension

PARIS (AP) — Health care workers in France face suspension from their jobs starting Wednesday if they haven't been vaccinated against COVID-19. With about 300,000 workers still not vaccinated, some hospitals fear staff shortages will add to their strain.

Vaccines are now compulsory for medical care, home care and emergency workers in France, and Wednesday is the deadline for such staff to have had at least one shot. Failing that, they face having pay suspended or not being able to work. But a top court has forbidden staff to be fired outright.

The mandate was approved by France's parliament over the summer, after the government insisted that the measure was needed to protect patients and the public from new surges of COVID-19. More than 113,000 people with the virus have died in France, and health authorities say most of those hospitalized in the most recent surge weren't vaccinated.

Nearly 90% of French health care workers are estimated to be vaccinated, and polls suggest most people support the vaccine mandate for medical staff.

But since some hospitals are already facing strains after a year and half of fighting the pandemic and catching up on other treatments, some fear staff shortages could spell disaster.

“We are raising the alarm ... if you insist on implementing this measure your beds will be closed, thus reducing chances (of survival) for a number of patients,” said Christophe Prudhomme, emergency room doctor and CGT union member, at a protest outside the Health Ministry on Tuesday.

The government health authority said Tuesday that 300,000 health workers remained unvaccinated.

If health care workers have had only one dose, they have to take a virus test every three days until they have completed the second one. Oct. 15 is the legal deadline for both vaccines...