Mercy becomes the latest health care system to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations: St. Louis

July 9, 2021- 5:21 p.m.

ST. LOUIS — Mercy Health on Wednesday directed of all its employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 30, becoming the fourth major St. Louis area hospital system to require staff to get the shots.

The move comes as Missouri hospital and public health officials are doing all they can to encourage vaccination as the best tool to fight the more infectious and dangerous delta variant of the coronavirus.

Low vaccination rates coupled with the variant have been blamed for a surge of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across Missouri, including an increase in patients younger than 18 at one hospital in southwest Missouri — the area of the state hit hardest.

Mercy has hospitals and clinics across southwest Missouri, including Joplin and Springfield, as well as in the St. Louis area. The health system also serves communities in Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Arkansas and Missouri lead the United States in the rate of new coronavirus cases.

“As health care leaders in our communities, it is important we set the standard to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Sistrunk said. “Our goal is to ensure the safest possible work environment for our co-workers and patients while also being a part of the effort to stop the spread of the virus in the communities we serve.”

As other hospitals have reported, the majority of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at Mercy hospitals have not been vaccinated.

“More than 95% of recent hospitalizations across the U.S. are people who aren’t vaccinated. The data is clear. Vaccination is key to saving lives,” said Dr. John Mohart, Mercy’s senior vice president of clinical services.

Officials with CoxHealth were asked about the vaccination rate among employees during a news conference held Tuesday to discuss the delta variant’s impact on patient loads and staffing needs.

CoxHealth is based in Springfield and operates six hospitals and several clinics across hard-hit southwest Missouri.

In Boone County, nearly 51% of residents have initiated vaccination, but it still falls short of the 70% estimated to achieve herd immunity and slow the spread of virus.

“Talk to your friends and family about the importance of getting the vaccine,” the advisory stated. “For parents of children younger than 12 who can’t be vaccinated, the best way to protect your child is to make sure the adults around them are vaccinated.”

BJC HealthCare and Washington University on June 15 were the first major institutions in the St. Louis region to announce COVID-19 vaccine requirements, setting a Sept. 15 deadline for employees.

St. Luke’s Hospital made a similar announcement on June 25, with an Aug. 13 deadline. SSM Health came next on June 28, with employees having to be fully vaccinated by the end of September.