NEW YORK (Reuters). New York woke up Monday morning to begin its first workday since Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered that all city workers receive COVID-19 vaccinations. However, many firefighters refused the shot while police and firefighters continued refusing it. One labor leader called the order a recipe of disaster.

De Blasio (a Democrat) announced his mandate just two weeks ago. He assured 8.8 million residents that officials would be able to handle any shortages of firefighters, police officers, or sanitation staff through shift changes and overtime.

“Another impressive uptick is to be reported. “@FDNY EMS vaccination rates up to 87%,” Danielle Filson (a press assistant for de Blasio) tweeted Sunday night.

According to union leaders, the percentage of firefighters and police officers who have been inoculated is lower than that for other employees in the city. If emergency services in large U.S. cities are not functioning properly in this city, de Blasio could be blamed.

To keep the city safe and run smoothly, we need everybody who can help. Andrew Ansbro (president of Uniformed Firefighters Association) stated that we are trying to prevent what will be an unavoidable disaster by design Monday morning.

Leaders of unions claim that their members were only given nine days to meet the deadline. They also believe workers with COVID-19 who have been sick for more than a year should be allowed an exemption. Ansbro stated that this includes about 70% of firefighters.

This dispute concerns vaccine mandates, which have become increasingly mandatory by politicians, such as President Joe Biden to stop the spread of highly contagious Delta virus. Los Angeles firefighters and Chicago police officers have also responded strongly.

New York City officials state that although research is still needed to establish the extent and duration of immunity against COVID-19 after an illness or infection, there are experts who agree that vaccinations may provide additional protection.

De Blasio predicted that city worker vaccinations would rise substantially.

Mayor said that similar deadlines for New York State and City employees prompted an increase in last-minute shots, as the reality was becoming clearer: Paychecks are about to cease coming.

The legal challenges made by the police and fire departments in New York City have been unsuccessful. Federal and state courts are reluctant to change vaccine mandates.