Niagara Health has one goal – 100% of all staff fully vaccinated

Niagara Health (NH) went from “considering” full vaccinations for all new hires this time last week to mandating it this week.

The reason? The upswing in new COVID-19 cases, being led by the Delta variant.

“This wave is increasingly being described as the wave of the unvaccinated,” says Dr. Johan Viljoen, NH Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs.

“We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our patients, families and teams as safe as possible – and getting vaccinated is our best defense against this highly contagious virus.”

For people already employed by Niagara Health, the new program will require staff, physicians, contractors, learners/students, and volunteers to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or written proof of a medical reason for not being fully vaccinated.

Those not vaccinated for any reason will also have to participate in mandatory education about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination. Hospitals will also be required to implement regular and mandatory testing of individuals who are not fully vaccinated.

By the end of last week, 84 per cent of Niagara Health staff and physicians had been fully vaccinated.

“Our goal is 100 per cent vaccination of everyone eligible at Niagara Health,” said Flo Paladino, NH Executive Vice President, People and Organizational Development.

“Planning is underway to achieve this through our new vaccination policy and we will be sharing more details on the program in the coming weeks.”