Two large Alabama hospitals require all staff and volunteers get COVID-19 vaccinations

ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL

Alabama hospitals in the Ascension health care system, St. Vincent's and Providence, will require COVID-19 vaccines for staff and volunteers (Joe Songer/jsonger@al.com). JOE SONGERJOE SONGER

Ascension, the Catholic health care system that operates St. Vincent’s hospitals in the Birmingham area and Providence Hospital in Mobile, will require staff to get both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by Nov. 12.

The announcement, issued late last month, comes as an increasing number of hospital systems nationwide roll out vaccine requirements. Kaiser Permanente, a large health care system in California, is requiring vaccinations. So are several hospitals in Texas and all hospitals in New Jersey.

“Ascension will require that all associates be vaccinated against COVID-19, whether or not they provide direct patient care, and whether they work in our sites of care or remotely,” the announcement said. “This includes associates employed by subsidiaries and partners; physicians and advanced practice providers, whether employed or independent; and volunteers and vendors entering Ascension facilities.”

Other large hospitals in Alabama have issued statements encouraging vaccination, but have not required it.

“UAB Medicine continues to explore options to encourage free, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines among employees,” said spokesman Bob Shepard.

Children’s Hospital, which is treating 12 children with COVID-19, issued a statement promoting vaccinations last week.

“Children’s of Alabama medical staff leadership, infectious disease physicians and CEO Tom Shufflebarger strongly endorse COVID vaccination for all individuals 12 years of age and older, including all adults working at Children’s,” according to the statement. “The emergence and surge of the COVID-19 Delta variant is a major concern to our clinical leaders. Public health projections suggest that over the next several months the Delta variant will be even worse than the darkest days of the pandemic in January and February.”

Staff and vendors at Ascension hospitals have until Nov. 12 to complete the vaccine series, which coincides with system’s flu shot deadline. Employees who cannot get vaccinated for medical or religious reasons can request exemptions.

“Tens of thousands of Ascension associates have already been vaccinated with the available vaccines, as have millions of people across the country and the world,” the Ascension statement said. “But we must do more to overcome this pandemic as we provide safe environments for those we serve.”

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