DAYTON, Ohio — Three Dayton-area hospitals — Kettering Health Network, Premier Health and Dayton Children's — are joining a growing list of hospitals and health care systems mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for medical staff.
Kettering Health said Thursday up until now, it has been encouraging vaccines, but because of rising cases and concerns over the delta variant, officials decided to take the next step.
"Since the COVID-19 vaccines became available, Kettering Health has strongly encouraged vaccination, helping distribute more than 100,000 doses since last December. But with the recent rise in cases, we can and must do more," officials wrote in a statement.
Dayton Children's is requiring workers there to get the vaccine by Oct. 1 and if they don't, they could face termination, the hospital said in a statement.
Kettering Health is requiring employees, students and volunteers to get completely vaccinated by Oct. 4.
Premier Health is setting the deadline for Dec. 1.
“This decision is made with a great deal of research, analysis and discussion, putting the safety of our children at the forefront,” Dayton Children’s said in a statement. “With the recent surge in COVID cases across the country, we must go further to protect our nation’s children. They cannot protect themselves. We must do it for them.”
Several central Ohio hospitals announced earlier this week that employees must be vaccinated by the end of the year. Nationwide Children's said all employees must get it before Oct. 1, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center's deadline is Oct. 15 and OhioHealth has the latest deadline with Dec. 1.
The Ohio Hospital Association, which represents more than 240 hospitals, said earlier Tuesday the recommendation came after concerns rose about the delta variant spreading.
"Hospital employee and staff vaccination against COVID-19 will help ensure the long-term ability of our health care system to respond to the pandemic and the continuation of vital health care services," said Mike Abrams, the association's CEO in a statement.
Mount Carmel was the first central Ohio hospital to mandate vaccines for staff in July, giving them until Aug. 24.
"Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Mount Carmel has actively collaborated with central Ohio health systems to fight this virus. Today, we are proud to stand alongside our partners as they, too, have required the vaccine for their staff. We believe this is a crucial step in protecting our community," Mount Carmel wrote in a statement.
Ohio documented 1,969 new cases Thursday, a slight dip from the more than 2,100 recorded Wednesday.
According to the latest update from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Thursday, 75 counties remain in the "high" or "substantial" levels for COVID-19 spread. The CDC recommends residents in these counties to wear masks, regardless of vaccinations.
Montgomery County, where the three hospitals are located, is currently in the "high" level for spread.