Hospital Association urges COVID-19 vaccine requirements for health care workers

CDC reports 70% of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Businesses and agencies starting to require vaccination of employees. On Monday, the Washington State Hospital Association urged medical facilities to require similar policies.

SEATTLE - The Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) adopted a resolution on Monday supporting COVID-19 vaccination requirements for health care workers.

The board of directors has urged all Washington state hospitals to require that their workers be vaccinated.

The resolution comes after the surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide due to the spreading delta variant.

President and CEO of WSHA, Cassie Sauer, emphasized how debilitating the coronavirus has been to hospitals and the health care system.

"When the COVID-19 vaccines were first released, WSHA and its members strongly encouraged everyone who was eligible, including hospital and health system employees, to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In the months since, clinical data has shown the COVID-19 vaccines to be extraordinarily safe and effective and our best tool to prevent spread of the disease," said Saur.

Washington State Department of Health reports show that over 94% of COVID-19 cases, including hospitalizations and deaths between May and June were among non fully vaccinated individuals.

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