TYLER, Texas — UT Health will require all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 4, 2022.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an emergency regulation that requires all employees that work at Medicare and Medicaid-participating healthcare facilities to be vaccinated. UT Health is one such facility.
Unlike workers in other industries, per this regulation, healthcare workers do not have the option for weekly COVID-19 testing in lieu of vaccination.
"We anticipate that the mandate will likely be challenged in state courts; however, this federal regulation as currently written supersedes any local regulation that may contradict this order," UT Health said in a statement to CBS19.
CHRISTUS Health says its organization is reviewing the newly released rules issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
"We are working with our Associates and providers to ensure compliance as appropriate," CHRISTUS Health said in a statement to CBS19. "While we do so, we will continue to focus on offering exceptional patient care in a healing and safe environment. And we will continue to put the health, safety, and dignity of our Associates first.”
This is a developing story.