Hospital system says 61 employees fired after mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy took effect this week.
Niagara Health has terminated 61 employees for not complying with its COVID-19 vaccination mandate.
The policy, which was announced in October 2021, took effect yesterday, requiring all hospital staff and physicians are required to get vaccinated unless they have an approved exemption.
"Our goal was for everyone who works at Niagara Health to make the choice to get vaccinated and remain a member of our team," the hospital system said in a statement. "We are grateful to the nearly 6,100 people (98.7%) on our team who are vaccinated. We have worked hard over the last several months to provide support by answering COVID-19 questions, educating about vaccine benefits and safety, and offering vaccination clinics on site."
In a statement, Niagara Health stated that hospitals care for people who are sick and vulnerable, and everything possible must be done to protect patients, staff and physicians.
The policy was initially planned to take effect in January, but a new deadline of April 7th was set due to widespread staff shortages and a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Currently, 171 staff members are self-isolating due to the virus.
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