Other Duke, UNC, and NC hospital systems require workers to be vaccinated :: WRAL.com

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DURHAM, NC – Major hospital systems across North Carolina, including the Duke University Health System based in Chapel Hill, announced Thursday that all staff and physicians must be vaccinated to continue working there.

The moves come on the heels of the North Carolina Health Care Association’s decision to support mandatory vaccinations for health care workers. The association represents 130 hospitals and health systems statewide.

“Protecting patients, visitors, and healthcare staff from COVID-19 remains of paramount importance. Vaccinating hospital and health system staff against COVID-19 is vital to safely care for patients by protecting them from infection and mitigating the spread of the virus within healthcare facilities and among physicians, patients, their families and friends “.

Duke Health and UNC Health have set a September 21 deadline for employees to get fully vaccinated, and employees will have to show proof of vaccination to their supervisors. Anyone seeking a medical or religious exemption from getting the vaccine must request it by September 7.

“DUHS is taking this action because we are committed to preserving the safety and health of our patients, team members and the community,” Dr. William Folkerson, Duke Health’s executive vice president, said in a statement. “Our position is based on scientific data from infectious disease and public health experts in Duke and around the United States, which show that vaccines are safe and effective in significantly reducing transmission of COVID.”

Other hospital systems that mandate vaccinations for employees include Cone Health, based in Greensboro, Novant Health, based in Winston-Salem, and Atrium Health, based in Charlotte. There was no immediate word on whether WakeMed would require its employees to vaccinate.

More to come in this evolving story…

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