Phoenix hospitals mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees

One by one, Valley health care systems are requiring the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment at hospitals as the Delta variant and low vaccination numbers propels the U.S. into a third surge of the virus.

Mayo Clinic, the Rochester- based hospital system with two facilities in the Phoenix area, announced its COVID-19 mandate on Monday. A news release from the health care provider said all employees, regardless of location or department, will be required to provide proof of vaccination by Sept. 17. Employees will also be given an option to decline, which will require them to take an online education module and continue to wear a mask and social distance while at work.

“We are proud of our staff’s high vaccination rates and are grateful that the vast majority have embraced the opportunity to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, Mayo Clinic’s president and CEO. “Our patients expect to be safe when they come to Mayo Clinic, and we need to do everything we can to protect everybody.”