The state nurse's union is pushing back against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's relaxed mask guidance for those vaccinated against COVID-19, saying it could do more harm than good.

Earlier this week, state officials released guidelines stating fully vaccinated people don't have to wear masks in most places. But according to the New York State Nurses Association , the policy could lead to trouble.

The NYSNA released a statement stating the group strongly supports a mandatory masking policy, especially in settings where social distancing isn't possible or if people who aren't vaccinated are present.

The Association says the government should enforce mask wearing for groups with greater risk of serious illness, such as older adults and people with underlying health conditions.

"Nurses have experienced the devastating effects of this terrible disease firsthand. They have watched their patients struggle for breath, suffer severe, life-threatening immune reaction, experience strokes, cardiac arrest and renal failure...Lifting the indoor mask mandate too soon puts lives at risk, especially to those most vulnerable to COVID infection," said NYSNA President Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez says.