Hospitals in the D.C. region said Wednesday that their employees will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of their employment.
The District of Columbia Hospital Association, or DCHA, said around 70% of hospital employees in D.C. have been vaccinated to date. Around 50% of the general population of D.C. has received at least one dose, and 42% are fully vaccinated.
The decision to make vaccination a condition of employment was made after studies showed the high degree of safety and efficacy of the vaccines, according to DCHA.
Children’s National Hospital said it will require employees to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 30. They said because none of the vaccines are currently approved for children under 12, vaccinating the staff represented an “important and meaningful way to safeguard the health of the children whose care is entrusted to us.”
The association said D.C. hospitals will require their employees to get vaccinated as a condition of their employment, though each hospital will set their own dates.
The University of Maryland Medical System said all current and new employees will need to be vaccinated by Sept. 1.
“We follow the science, and the scientific evidence tells us that from a safety and efficacy standpoint, COVID-19 vaccines represent a dramatic accomplishment and a clear pathway out of this pandemic,” said Mohan Suntha, president and CEO of The University of Maryland Medical System.
Johns Hopkins Medicine requires all clinical and nonclinical personnel to be vaccinated by Sept. 1. The policy applies to faculty, staff, temporary staff, students, postdoctoral fellows, house staff, providers, volunteers and vendors at all Johns Hopkins Medicine locations.
In an email, a Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center spokeswoman said the system is not mandating vaccination “as the FDA has not fully approved them and they’re still only being authorized for emergency usage.”
- Sign up for WTOP alerts
- Sign up for WTOP’s coronavirus email newsletter
- Latest coronavirus test results in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- Coronavirus vaccine FAQ: What you need to know
- Latest vaccination numbers in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- Amid COVID-19 decline, welcome to ‘slightly relaxed life’ in Montgomery Co.
- Smithsonian’s natural history museum to reopen June 18
Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.
