CLIVE, Iowa — Two of central Iowa's largest hospital systems will now require all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 due to the increasing activity of the virus.
MercyOne joins announced its vaccine requirement Tuesday, but noted workers "who are not able to be vaccinated for strongly held religious beliefs or medical reasons will be required to apply for an exemption."
MercyOne staff following the Trinity Health vaccine requirement must submit proof of vaccination by Sept. 21.
Staff working in central Iowa, northeast Iowa and the MercyOne Elkader Medical Center are required to submit their proof of vaccination by Nov. 1.
Also on Tuesday, Broadlawns Medical Center announced it'll be implementing a plan to fully vaccinate all staff by Nov. 1. The metro hospital also encouraged patients and the community at large to get their vaccines as soon as possible.
As of Tuesday, BMC says 76% of all staff are fully vaccinated. Broadlawns staff who haven't had their vaccine must get their first dose by Oct. 1 so they can finish their series by the Nov. deadline.
Employees who choose not to comply with the vaccine requirements are "subject to voluntary resignation or termination."
Those seeking exemption from the vaccine for religious or medical reasons may complete a request for accommodation form to submit to the human resources department.
Last week, UnityPoint Health announced all employees will be required to get their vaccine by Nov. 1.
MercyOne employees can find vaccine appointment information by clicking/tapping this link.
The requirement comes as the Delta variant continues to dominate COVID-19 cases across the United States.
As of Aug. 4, the Iowa Department of Public Health reports the state's seven-day positivity rate as 7.6%. IDPH also reports 47.2% of Iowans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
While vaccine data is still updated every day by IDPH, information on cases, deaths and hospitalizations is only reported once a week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the entire state of Iowa is experiencing high transmission rates of COVID-19, reporting 105.4 cases per 100,000 people the past week.
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