SAN ANTONIO — Baptist Health System announced that they will begin requiring all employees at its five San Antonio hospitals to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
This policy will require that all San Antonio BHS staff, including physicians, medical residents, fellows, trainees, contractors, medical staff, students and volunteers be vaccinated with an FDA-authorized coronavirus vaccine.
“The science shows us the COVID vaccines are effective, safe and your best protection against the virus. Our goal is to do all we can to save lives and slow the spread of COVID-19 and eventually bring an end to the pandemic," said Matt Stone, group CEO for Baptist Health System.
People seeking an exception for medical or religious reasons may do so, but will be required to take strict precautions that may include frequent testing, BHS says.
“Our patients put their trust in us to protect them and provide the care they expect and deserve,” said Lynnette Watkins, group chief medical officer for Baptist. “It is critical that we take this step to help ensure we maintain their trust and keep them as well as our employees and medical staff safe and not put them at unnecessary risk from this deadly virus, especially in light of concerns related to the Delta variant.”
The Centers for Disease Control recommended Tuesday that people living in communities where the coronavirus is quickly spreading should wear masks indoors, even if they're fully vaccinated.
It also recommended universal masking for students, visitors, and faculty inside K-12 schools.
"Even if you're vaccinated, you're not invincible," Christus Health's Dr. Marisa Emmons said. "You can still catch the virus, which means you can spread it to others—even if you don't develop symptoms."
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters Tuesday new data indicates vaccinated people who catch the Delta variant are as contagious as unvaccinated people who catch coronavirus.
It's one of the key reasons, Walensky said, that vaccinated people should wear masks indoors.
Emmons noted that thousands of children will return to school next month, ineligible for a coronavirus vaccine. It appears more children are catching the Delta variant than caught the original, "wild-type" strain of the coronavirus.
Click here to track how many San Antonio area residents have received the vaccine.
Two major hospital systems in Central Texas are also requiring all of their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Baylor Scott & White Health said in a prepared statement that all employees, providers, volunteers, vendors and staff must have received the Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine by Oct. 1, unless granted an exemption.
So, does the employer have the right to force vaccines? KENS 5 asked San Attorney Juanita Pelaez-Prada about the legalities.
"The current state of the law is that yes, the employer can require that you get vaccinated," she said.
However, Pelaez-Prada pointed out some gray areas with mandated vaccines.
"How can you really verify or enforce your requirements," she said. "Will they be requiring that? And they will be faced with several challenges."
Also, if an employee doesn't follow a company's rule to get the shot, the legal fight can get complicated.
"We don't know how it is going to play out," she said. "And it really is up to the employer on how it chooses to accommodate these employees that choose not get vaccinated."
Related links on KENS 5: