San Francisco city employees are now required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. And according to the city's Department of Human Resources, the vast majority are.
Of the city's 36,125 employees, 88 percent have, so far, reported being vaccinated to human resources officials. Ten percent say they’re unvaccinated, and two percent haven’t reported their status.
Two weeks ago, the city updated its vaccination policy. It requires all city employees who work in high-risk settings to be vaccinated by September 15. All other city employees need to get vaccinated by October 13. Additionally, all employees were required to report their vaccination status to the city by last week.
A small number of first responders failed to report their status by last week's deadline. That includes two employees with the Sheriff's Department; eight with the Police Department; and seven with the Fire Department, according to the city.
Employees who continue to refuse to report their status possibly face a 10-day suspension without pay, though they can appeal the action.
Last week, union leaders with the San Francisco Deputy Sheriff's Association threatened to have deputies quit or retire if the city mandate were enforced. And a San Francisco firefighter filed a civil lawsuit against the HR director and the city, alleging the vaccine mandate violates his rights.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health, the California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease, Control, and Prevention have all said the vaccine is the most effective option to prevent severe illness from COVID-19.
