Houston Hospital First in Nation to Require Staff Covid-19 Vaccinations
Vaccinating hospital staff reduces risk to patients
The Houston Methodist hospital system is now the first U.S. hospital to require all staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The bold move toward mandatory vaccination comes on the heels of a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report showing that the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are 90% effective at preventing Covid-19 infections in healthcare workers and first responders.
On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that Marc Boom, MD, the hospital’s chief executive officer, notified the staff via email of the new vaccine policy. The Methodist system currently requires all new staff to be fully vaccinated. The new mandate will require all staff to receive their first vaccine dose by the middle of April.
The Houston Methodist system employs 26,000 people. Currently, 83% have started the vaccination process. Boom encourages hospital staff to demonstrate leadership through vaccination to help create a safe environment for patient care. In his email, he wrote: “When we choose to be vaccinated against Covid-19, we are prioritizing safety by helping stop the spread of this deadly virus and keeping our patients, visitors, and colleagues safe.”
