OAKLAND, Calif. — All Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians will be required to get COVID-19 vaccines, the organization announced Monday.
One of the largest health organizations in the US, with 9.3 million members in California alone, Kaiser has set a target date to have a fully-vaccinated workforce by Sept. 30, 2021.
Kaiser has more than 216,000 employees and more than 23,000 physicians across the organization. As of July 31, Kaiser reported that about 78% of all its employees were fully vaccinated, including 95% of its physicians.
“Large groups of unvaccinated people are fueling the current increase in cases and 97-99% of COVID-19 hospital admissions are unvaccinated patients. Making vaccination mandatory is the most effective way we can protect our people, our patients, and the communities we serve,” said CEO Greg Adams.
Because of the mandate, all unvaccinated employees will be required to get fully vaccinated or apply for a medical or religious exemption. The organization says reluctant employees will be provided additional information on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and they’ll be given paid time off to get their shots.
Kaiser says it is working with its labor unions on how it can implement the vaccine mandate, in coordination with local, state, and federal laws.
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