Texas hospital system will require employees to get COVID-19 vaccine; could fire them if they don’t

A hospital system in Houston is requiring all of its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, making it one of the first major hospital systems in the U.S. to mandate vaccination among employees and move to fire them if they don’t comply.

Houston Methodist, a network of eight hospitals that has 26,000 employees, said it will require every employee to provide proof of vaccination by June 7.

If employees aren’t vaccinated before the June deadline, they’ll be suspended, without pay, for two weeks. If they’re not vaccinated within that suspension period, the company will “initiate the employee termination process,” according to the company’s new HR policy, implemented this month.

“As health care workers we must do everything possible to keep our patients safe and at the center of everything we do,” Houston Methodist CEO Dr. Marc Bloom told employees in an email obtained by CNN. “By choosing to be vaccinated, you are leaders – showing our colleagues in health care what must be done to protect our patients, ourselves, our families and our communities.”

Employees have until May 3 to apply for exemption for religious or medical reasons. If their request is denied, they’re expected to get vaccinated before the June deadline.

The hospital system already mandated the vaccine for “Phase 1 employees,” which included new hires, executives and managers. They were expected to provide proof of vaccination by mid-April.

About 89% of all employees have been vaccinated so far, Bloom said in the email. The hospital system previously offered employees $500 to get their COVID-19 vaccine, CNN reported in January.