Samaritan Medical Center terminates 28 workers over vaccine mandate

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - Watertown’s Samaritan Medical Center terminated 28 of its employees Monday for not complying with state vaccine requirements.

Hospital officials say those 28 workers are across all three of its facilities.

The state deadline for health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID was September 27. That’s when Samaritan suspended any worker for two weeks who did not meet the deadline.

Employees would retain their position if they got vaccinated before Monday. SMC says 28 chose not to.