Health care systems urged to mandate vaccinations

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin’s largest physicians organization is urging all health care organizations to require that their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Despite the pleas for voluntary vaccinations, Wisconsin and the nation continue to see dramatic increases in coronavirus infections, primarily due to the spread of the delta variant among those who are unvaccinated.

The plea Monday from the Wisconsin Medical Society follows last week’s call from dozens of national health care organizations, including the American Medical Association, for employer-mandated vaccinations.

Wisconsin Medical Society COVID-19 Task Force Chair David Letzer, DO stated that physicians have been encouraging the public to get their COVID-19 vaccination for months.

“At some point, all employers have to step up and start mandating vaccinations to protect their employees and customers,” Letzer said. “Because the Delta variant is two to three times more infectious than the original strain, the time has come to take this next step. We are calling on all health care organizations to mandate their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, barring rare medical contraindication.”

Health care systems in Wisconsin requiring employer-mandated vaccinations include the Medical College of Wisconsin, Children’s Wisconsin, the Mayo Clinic Health System and Ascension Wisconsin.