Monday marked the deadline for unvaccinated health care workers across the country to comply with a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in a recent update (pdf) earlier this month, said it is “full speed ahead” with enforcing the mandate, which applies to health care staff who work at entities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding. Workers in 24 states have to receive one vaccine dose by Monday, Feb. 14, amid court challenges, whereas workers in about half of all states had to comply and receive their first dose by Jan. 27. Workers in Texas have to receive their first dose next week. “Last month, the United States Supreme Court stayed two preliminary injunctions that had prohibited the implementation and enforcement of the [CMS] healthcare staff vaccination rule in 24 states, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted a …