Employees at Kansas City area health system have until Dec. 1 to get a COVID shot
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Kansas City COVID-19 news
As the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus surges across the Kansas City region, officials, hospitals and communities have had to react. Here is our latest coverage.
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The University of Kansas Health System on Wednesday joined two other hospital systems in Kansas City in mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for employees.
Truman Medical Centers/University Health announced its employee mandate in late July. Saint Luke’s Health System announced a similar requirement on Monday.
They are taking the lead in a metro where most area businesses are hesitant to implement vaccine mandates for their employees, according to a new survey from the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
About 85% of the 184 businesses and organizations that responded said they don’t have a vaccine mandate. They fear losing employees, worry about the legality of mandates and said vaccination is a personal choice.
Earlier, KU officials had said they would consider a mandate after the vaccine was approved by federal authorities. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine received full approval for use in people ages 16 and older on Aug. 23.
The mandate comes as as the contagious delta variant continues its hold on the metro, stressing local hospitals with surging COVID cases and hospitalizations.
On Wednesday, the KU system had 62 patients with active cases of COVID-19. Only 10 are vaccinated, doctors said, and all 10 already had significant health problems such as end stage liver disease, organ transplant, chemotherapy, lung disease and diabetes.
Nineteen of them are in ICU, three more than on Tuesday. Fourteen are on ventilators, they said.
Another 35 patients remain hospitalized with COVID but have moved out of the acute infection phase, doctors reported.
For months, KU health officials have promoted COVID vaccines as effective and safe — the best protection against severe infection, hospitalization and death and the ticket out of the pandemic.
On Wednesday, the health system announced that vaccinations will be required for employees, volunteers, students, temporary workers and contractors working in Kansas City area facilities, affecting 12,839 people.
All KU physicians must be vaccinated, too, officials said.
Employees have until Dec. 1 to comply, but most are already vaccinated, the announcement said.
Hospital officials at KU and elsewhere point out that they already require certain vaccinations for employees, including influenza, which helps keep patients and staff safe.
“We know we are making the right decision for our organization, our employees, our patients, and physicians,” Tammy Peterman, president of the health system’s Kansas City division, said in the statement.
“We continue to strongly encourage everyone in our community to get vaccinated.”
Several health care organizations have endorsed mandatory vaccinations for health professionals, including the American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American Nurses Association and American Academy of Pediatrics.
Earlier this month, the University of Missouri Health Care system also announced it is requiring employees, students and providers to become fully vaccinated by Oct. 1.
Truman gave its 4,500 employees until Sept. 20. Saint Luke’s will require its 12,000 employees to be vaccinated by Oct. 30.
Jackson and Johnson counties, as well as Kansas City Public Schools, require employees to get vaccinated or get weekly COVID tests.
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 2:56 PM.
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