They’re stressed, short-staffed and most are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. But New Jersey health care workers — from medical centers to nursing homes — are not rushing to get COVID-19 booster shots, despite the Feb. 28 deadline set by Gov. Phil Murphy. Hospitals had asked Murphy for an extension, fearing staff faced with choosing between a jab or job, might quit. But the governor isn’t budging. Hospitals aren’t rushing to fire holdouts, either.

Meanwhile, Jersey’s largest healthcare union joined with the Mental Health Association of New Jersey to offer counseling — not just to health care workers, but to anyone in the public feeling stressed and desperate by this pandemic. The program is federally-funded and accessible online.