HOUSTON – Officials at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will require all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 at the start of the new year.
In a statement on Monday, all employees must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022, unless they submit a medical or religious exemption for review.
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Approximately 4,500 employees have not presented vaccination documentation. MD Anderson says they hope to decrease that number and assist employees with vaccinations.
The full statement reads as follows:
In response to the emergency federal vaccination requirements for health care facilities established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Interim Final Rule, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will comply and require all workforce members to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by the established deadline of Jan. 4, 2022. Medical and religious exemptions can be submitted for review by internal committees consisting of physicians, ethicists and religious experts.
MD Anderson’s compliance with the Rule is consistent with all health care institutions operating within CMS’ Conditions of Participation. At present, most of MD Anderson’s workforce is fully vaccinated. Of the approximately 4,500 employees without vaccination documentation in MD Anderson’s system, work is underway to collect their vaccination information. MD Anderson fully expects that number to continue to decrease as we receive and document the requested information. The institution also will continue to provide resources and access to vaccine clinics to assist the remaining individuals requiring vaccination.