MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Hospital systems across are instituting vaccine mandates following approval of the Pfizer vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration Monday. WVU Medicine and Mon Health Systems have issued directives to employees that they must be fully vaccinated by October 31.
In Kanawha County, spokesman for the Charleston Area Medical Center Dale Whitt said they are continuing to monitor guidance from health experts and have not made a ruling.
President of the West Virginia Hospital Association, Jim Kaufman said despite the potential negative impact on the workforce this policy will keep healthcare workers and patients as safe as possible.
“We’re very concerned about the workforce, in fact that’s one of our biggest challenges,” Kaufman said,” At the same time we know that getting our healthcare teams vaccinated it will allow us to serve all West Virginians and protect our staff.”
President and CEO of WVU Medicine, Albert Wright believes that increasing case numbers of the Delta variant and the current surge in hospitalizations have forced them to take steps to stop the spread, improve outcomes and ensure that when members of the community need care there will be someone there to do it.
“It is critical that we have a workforce that’s able to come and take care of patients that depend on us,” Wright said,” And I believe and our leadership team believes the only way to do that is for our workforce to be vaccinated.”
David Goldberg, President and CEO of Mon Health Systems, said the vaccine is the best strategy to limit spread, improve outcomes and hopefully keep people out of the hospital.
“Reduce the threat of transmission, mitigate the spread and do our part to vaccinate our way out of this as we see rates increase here in West Virginia,” Goldberg said.
Active cases of the virus have ballooned more than 10,000 after being below 1,000 for a short period in early July. The DHHR added nearly 2,500 new cases over the weekend, increased the daily positivity rate to 11.44 percent and nearly half of the 55 counties in the state are red on the statewide coronavirus status map.
“The virus has really become endemic, which means COVID is everywhere now,” Wright said,” We’re not going to be able to stamp it out because we’re not going to see a shutdown of society or organizations, or full mask mandates again- the only way we’re going to get out of this is through vaccination.”
Exemptions will be offered for medical and religious reasons, but according to Goldberg this will be handled the way annual flu shots are among staff.
“We will provide testing to those who meet that exemption,” Goldberg said,” For those who don’t we’re going to do all we can to get them vaccinated, but we do expect our staff to be vaccinated like we’ve been doing with flu for years in the state.”