Due to the rapid spread of the new and highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant among unvaccinated people and to protect the safety of our patients, employees and providers, Beaumont Health will make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for all employees and providers who work or practice at Beaumont facilities.
Due to the rapid spread of the new and highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant among unvaccinated people and to protect the safety of our patients, employees and providers, Beaumont Health will make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for all employees and providers who work or practice at Beaumont facilities.
We are planning for this mandate to go in effect once the Food & Drug Administration gives full approval to one or more of the current vaccines, which is expected early this fall. However, if the positivity rate for the community begins to spike or we experience a fourth pandemic surge in our facilities, we will mandate the COVID-19 vaccine before full FDA approval as we have a duty to protect our patients and each other. Our infection control procedures and low community positivity rate have helped us maintain safety up to this point. However, the new variant is changing the risk dynamics of the pandemic going forward for anyone still unvaccinated.
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 during that time will no longer be allowed to work at Beaumont. Again, we must maintain a safe environment.
The Delta variant is the most contagious version of COVID-19. It spreads over 200% more than the original version of the virus. We want all Beaumont team members to stay healthy, and the vaccine is the only safe and effective way to truly protect yourself and others from COVID-19. If you have not been vaccinated, please do so now. You can also walk in (during the hours the vaccine clinics are open).
We know you will have questions about what the vaccine requirement means, including exemptions, how to validate offsite vaccination and more. We are working out those details and developing a policy on the vaccine mandate that will be shared within the next few weeks. Unfortunately, email inquiries cannot not be individually answered effectively at this time.
Other health systems across the state and country are also implementing or already have issued similar mandates regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
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. This requirement continues our commitment to protecting and serving all Michiganders. It also reflects the reality of new and more infectious COVID-19 variants now presenting additional risks for everyone. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to our mission throughout the pandemic.