https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01/19/forty-santa-clara-county-firefighters-want-exemptions-from-covid-booster-mandate/

About 40 firefighters with the the short-staffed Santa Clara County Fire Department have submitted requests to be exempted from a new booster mandate, putting their bosses and union representatives in a quandary.

Like many other sectors across the region, including hospitals and schools, the fire department is struggling to field a full workforce amid the rapid spread of the omicron variant that has sent COVID-19 cases surging again. The department says it’s running at only 90% in part because of the  pandemic — and the last two training academies were smaller than usual due to COVID protocols set by the county.