ROCHESTER, Minn. (WXOW) – Mayo Clinic announced Monday that they are requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by mid-September.
In a release from Mayo Clinic, it said employees must have the vaccination by September 17 or complete a declination process. It covers all employees regardless of where they work.
“We are proud of our staff’s high vaccination rates and are grateful that the vast majority have embraced the opportunity to get vaccinated,” says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic’s president and CEO. “Our patients expect to be safe when they come to Mayo Clinic, and we need to do everything we can to protect everybody.”
The statement said that those who decide not to get vaccinated “must complete education modules and will be required to wear masks and socially distance when on campus.”
Mayo is one of a number of health systems across the county requiring vaccinations. Medial associations on Monday also called on health care and long-term care employers to mandate vaccinations for employees.
The statement cites the increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 as one of the reasons behind the move. They also use CDC information that shows that 99.5% of hospital deaths from COVID are from unvaccinated individuals.
“Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 is the single most important thing all of us can do to protect our patients, visitors, colleagues and communities,” Dr. Farrugia says.
Find vaccination information here.