Mercy Employees Now Required To Get COVID Vaccine

WATONGA — Mercy, a regional health system that operates a hospital and clinic in Watonga, announced last Wednesday that all co-workers will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 30.

The move comes amid growing concern about the Delta variant of COVID-19, which has become the dominant coronavirus strain across the country. The Delta variant is believed to be more contagious than earlier strains.

In a press release, Mercy said the “majority” of Mercy patients recently hospitalized with COVID-19 have not been vaccinated.

“What we are seeing aligns with the Associated Press analysis of CDC data,” said Dr. John Mohart, Mercy’s senior vice president of clinical services, in the release. “More than 95% of recent hospitalizations across the U.S. are people who aren’t vaccinated. The data is clear. Vaccination is key to saving lives.”

Dr. William Sistrunk, Mercy infectious disease specialist, said it is “essential” to mandate the vaccine among Mercy employees “in order to protect the health of our co-workers and our patients at Mercy.”

“As health care leaders in our communities, it is important we set the standard to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Sistrunk said. “Vaccination is our best defense against the virus and already has provided many of our co-workers with the protection they need to care for our patients. Our goal is to ensure the safest possible work environment for our co-workers and patients while also being a part of the effort to stop the spread of the virus in the communities we serve.”

Mercy joins more than 20 health care organizations across the country that have required their employees receive the vaccine, including SSM Health. Such requirements have drawn opposition from employees and observers who believe companies shouldn’t have the power to mandate personal health care decisions.

“COVID-19 vaccines have been deemed safe and have proven effective with over 171 million Americans already vaccinated,” Mercy said. The health system “continues to strongly encourage vaccination throughout the community as well.”

Currently, there are three COVID-19 vaccines that have been granted emergency use authorizations in the United States: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Pfizer and Moderna have applied for full approval of their vaccine through the Food and Drug Administration, Mercy said.

Mercy has hospitals in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma, with additional clinics and outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.