Boston Extends Employee Vaccine Deadline to January 30 as Union Talks Continue

BOSTON — July 22, 2026 — Boston extends its city employee COVID vaccine deadline to January 30 amid ongoing union bargaining. Mayor Michelle Wu announced the one-week extension Tuesday, saying active talks with municipal union partners and continued vaccination progress warranted additional time. Dr. Bisola Ojukwu, Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission, reported that 94 percent of Boston's roughly 18,270 city employees are now vaccinated, with new citywide vaccination uptake rising 36 percent from the first to second week of January and another 17 percent the following week. Employees not in compliance after the January 30 deadline will be placed on unpaid leave. A proposal before the Boston Police Patrolman's Association would allow officers vaccinated within a certain window after the deadline to potentially return to their positions. The city has also received 609 employee exemption requests, which remain under case-by-case review. Boston's community positivity rate stood at 18.9 percent as of January 21, down from a peak above 32 percent, though hospitalizations are up 12 percent week over week.