PHOENIX — Employers requiring workers to be vaccinated is nothing new. In fact, Arizona's largest private employer has required staff to be vaccinated for influenza since 2012.
Banner Health announced on Tuesday that it will require all of its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to stay employed.
“Employers are moving towards requiring these vaccines,” said Arizona employment attorney Joshua Black.
Banner required employees receive vaccinations like influenza, measles, chickenpox, tuberculosis and hepatitis B before the pandemic began.
“We have people in very infirmed health at the hospital that’s who your clients are. People who potentially are near death. Exposing them to COVID-19 could be fatal,” said Black.
Employers can legally require employees to be vaccinated in order to work, according to guidance issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
"People who have valid reasons for religious needs or health concerns, if they are immunocompromised, employees must have accommodations," said Black. "If employees feel they are not being heard or mandating a vaccine, I would recommend them to reach out to an employment attorney to walk them through their rights."
The vaccines were viewed as a global turning point last December when health care workers began receiving their shots.
A pandemic of the unvaccinated
The Center for Disease Control said the highly contagious Delta variant is responsible for 83% of new cases, 99% of those are unvaccinated people.
“The best way to prevent getting the Delta variant or any variant is to get vaccinated as quickly as possible,” said ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ.
In her blog, Dr. Cara Christ discussed spreading the word on the Delta variant and protecting Arizonans.
Facts about the vaccine
People can not get COVID-19 from the vaccines themselves. The vaccines do not contain coronavirus.
Health experts waited for two months before asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to consider emergency use authorization to study any long-term side effects which health experts say almost always show up within two weeks of being vaccinated.
There is no evidence that suggests vaccines will cause infertility.
While choosing not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is a personal right, there are consequences and impacts not only yourself but loved ones and the rest of the world.
Unvaccinated people can still carry and spread the virus. Unvaccinated people can still allow the virus to replicate and cause variations such as the Delta variant.
COVID-19 Vaccine
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