(WSYM) — Henry Ford Health System will require all workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the health system announced on Tuesday.
The requirement will go into effect on Sept. 10, 2021, and apply to all team members, students, volunteers and contractors.
Henry Ford is the first health system in the state to require COVID-19 vaccination for all workers.
“We acknowledge the magnitude of this decision and we did not make it lightly,” President and CEO Wright Lassiter III said in a release. “As a leader and trusted voice in our communities, our patients and members depend on us to create a safe, healthy environment. We owe that same promise to our team members. Safety and infection prevention are everyone’s responsibility.”
The health system said the requirement goes along with the sharp decline of COVID-19 hospitalizations with vaccinations increasing. There are around 20 COVID-19 patients in all Henry Ford hospitals, the lowest since the early days of the pandemic.
“We have consistently advocated for vaccination as the best path forward for all of us,” said Bob Riney, President of Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer. “But for vaccinations to truly make a deep and lasting impact on this pandemic, we need everyone in this fight. There is no greater compassion we can show each other than to be vigilant about safety and preventing the spread of this devastating disease.”
The health system said the requirement is also consistent with the existing vaccination policy at Henry Ford, which requires workers to get a flu shot and stay current with other vaccinations like measles, mumps, whooping cough and more.
