(WWJ) Another big company in the U.S. is telling its workers: Get your shot or you're fired.
Trinity Health has announced that the health system will require all of its employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and those who fail to show proof that they are vaccinated will be terminated.
Trinary said Thursday that the edict will apply to more than 117,000 employees in 22 states nationwide, in an effort to slow down the continued spread of the coronavirus "and keep all patients, colleagues, and the broader communities safe."
This includes 20,000 employees in Michigan, making Trinity only the second health system in the state, along with Henry Ford Health System, to require vaccination.
Nearly 75% of Trinity Health employees have already received at least one dose. With the new requirements, Rosalie Tocco-Bradley, PhD, MD, chief clinical officer of Trinity Health Michigan said they're hoping to close that gap.
"As a trusted health care leader within Michigan communities, our patients and colleagues look to us to keep them safe," said Tocco-Bradley. "There is widespread acceptance of the vaccines and their effectiveness within the medical community. The science is clear - vaccines protect against infection and they help save lives."
Most locations are requiring employees to submit proof of vaccination by September 21. In the further, proof of boosters shots may be required.
Trinty says exemptions from the policy are available for religious or health reasons and must be formally requested, documented, and approved.
This comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 331 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the U.S. The CDC says the vaccines have proven to be safe and effective against symptomatic infections, hospitalizations and death, with more than 99% of COVID-19 deaths today occurring in unvaccinated people.
