UW Health providers, staff, students and volunteers are required to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster by May 2, the organization said Wednesday.
About 96% of staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, following a requirement announced last year. UW Health and UnityPoint Health-Meriter announced vaccination requirements in August after SSM Health, including St. Mary's Hospital in Madison, did so in June 2021.
SSM Health hasn't adopted a booster mandate, spokesperson Kim Sveum said Wednesday. "While we strongly encourage everyone to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, it is not required at this time," Sveum said. "We continue to evaluate the situation."
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UnityPoint Health-Meriter spokesperson Nicole Aimone said boosters are "highly encouraged" but not required for employees.
UW Health said recent data have shown that boosters significantly reduce the likelihood of hospitalization or death from COVID-19, and efficacy from initial vaccination wanes over time.
“Our staff have been incredibly supportive of vaccination efforts in our system, our community and our state,” Dr. Jeff Pothof, UW Health's chief quality officer, said in a statement. “They see first-hand how important it is to get a booster as we deal with the omicron surge.”
Those who don't get boosters by May 2 may lose their jobs, UW Health said. Boosters can be given five months after the last Pfizer or Moderna vaccine dose, or two months after a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
People who have a documented medical condition that prevents them from being vaccinated or a religious conviction as defined in state law can file for an exemption to the vaccine requirement, UW Health said.
In December, a person not fully vaccinated in Dane County was seven times more likely to test positive for COVID-19, 57 times more likely to be hospitalized with it and 58 times more likely to die from it than a person who was fully vaccinated and had a booster or additional dose, according to Public Health Madison and Dane County.
A person vaccinated with only the primary series was three times more likely to get COVID-19, 10 times more likely to be hospitalized with it and 11 times more likely to die from it than a person who had the primary series and a booster or additional dose, the city-county health department said.
On Wednesday, the department said the county had 121 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, the lowest level since Dec. 28, including 22 in intensive care, the lowest since Nov. 12. In July, the levels were down to a daily average of about 15 hospitalized and five in the ICU.
UW Health requiring COVID-19 booster shots for staff, volunteers - Madison.com
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