Allina Health will require COVID-19 vaccine for workers

Allina Health will require the COVID-19 vaccine for all its workers, the health provider announced  Tuesday.

Employees will be expected to have received at least one vaccine dose by Oct 1.  Volunteers and contract employees will also be required to be vaccinated under the new policy, which the organization plans to implement system-wide.

The timing of the decision to require vaccinations was informed by “growing concern of our clinicians and patients about the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases being driven by highly transmissible variants,” Allina said in a press release.

More than 73 percent of Allina employees are currently vaccinated against COVID-19.

Allina has continued requiring masks in all facilities.  Staff are also required to get influenza vaccinations by Jan 1, 2002.