Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Mandate will apply to all employees, volunteers and providers who practice or work at a Beaumont facility
Due to the rapid spread of the highly contagious new Delta variant among unvaccinated people and to protect the safety of patients, employees and providers, Beaumont Health will make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for all employees and providers who practice medicine or work at Beaumont facilities.
This mandate will go into effect after the Food & Drug Administration fully approves one or more of the current vaccines, which is expected early this fall. However, if the positive rate for the surrounding communities begins to spike or Beaumont experiences a fourth pandemic surge, the COVID-19 vaccine will be mandated before full FDA approval.
“We have a duty to protect our patients and our staff. The Delta variant is the most contagious form of COVID-19. It spreads much faster than the original version of the virus. We want all Beaumont team members to stay healthy. The vaccine is the only safe and effective way to truly protect against COVID-19,” Beaumont Health CEO John Fox said.
Anyone who works in a Beaumont facility, including employees, volunteers and providers who practice or work at Beaumont facilities, will be required to get the vaccine. Team members must be fully vaccinated within six weeks of full FDA approval of any viable COVID-19 vaccine. Team members who do not meet exemptions and refuse to get vaccinated will initially be suspended. Those who choose not to be vaccinated will no longer be allowed to work at Beaumont. Additional details regarding Beaumont’s policy will be shared in the comings weeks.
“For more than a year, Beaumont has led Michigan in the fight against COVID-19. Through it all, the safety of our patients, their loved ones and our team members has been our number one priority. Our infection control procedures and the low local community positivity rate has enabled us to provide a safe environment. However, the new Delta variant changes the risk dynamic moving forward. This requirement is essential and continues our commitment to protecting and serving all Michiganders. Again, this reflects the reality of the new and more infectious COVID-19 variant that now presents additional risks for everyone,” Fox added.