(Reuters) – The National Football League (NFL) on Monday said it will require members of the media to receive a COVID-19 booster shot in an effort to stem the spread of the virus within the league.
The requirement will take effect on Jan. 12 and will apply to media working at team training facilities, covering the playoffs and the Feb. 13 Super Bowl in Los Angeles.
The announcement comes after the league changed its COVID-19 protocols for players amid the emergence of the highly-contagious Omicron variant which contributed to the postponement of several games this month.
The NFL encourages but does not require players to be vaccinated against the virus.
It recently said it vaccination rate stood at 94.6% among players and nearly 100% among personnel, while 30 of the league’s 32 clubs have an overall vaccination rate of 95% or higher.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in San Francisco, editing by Ed Osmond)
