Vidant Health imposes vaccines on its employees

GREENVILLE, NC (WITN) – East Carolina’s largest hospital system has said it will require employees to be vaccinated.

Vidant Health said managers, doctors and accredited providers have until Oct. 1 to complete their vaccinations, while other employees, new hires and contract workers must be vaccinated by Dec. 1.

The policy applies to all hospitals in Vidant and the only exemptions would be for medical or religious reasons.

Vidant says people on exemptions may be required to undergo weekly testing and potential reassignment away from units with immunocompromised patients.

Vidant says that just like the flu vaccine, a COVID-19 vaccine will become a condition of employment.

CEO Dr Michael Waldrum said the healthcare system has 13,000 employees and more than 2,000 medical staff. He said 55% of staff and more than 90% of doctors are already vaccinated.

Dr Waldrum says if employees are struggling to get vaccinated, they have to ask themselves why they got into the healthcare business to begin with.

The Greenville-based hospital system has nine hospitals and 100 clinics in eastern Carolina. He joins many other health systems in North Carolina in demanding vaccination of workers.

The vaccination mandate will impact all Vidant Health employees, but it will also affect ECU medical students.

Students who need to access the Vidant clinical areas will also need to be vaccinated.

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