ORLANDO, Fla. – AdventHealth announced on Thursday it’s suspending the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in place for employees.
The health organization previously sent a letter to employees saying they had until Dec. 6 to get their first shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or a single shot of Johnson & Johnson vaccine and until Jan. 4 to receive the second dose of the two-shot vaccines.
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While the company still strongly encourages team members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, recent court decisions resulted in AdventHealth’s reconsideration of a vaccine mandate.
“Due to recent decisions by the federal courts to block the CMS vaccine mandate, we are suspending the vaccination requirements prescribed by this mandate. We will continue to monitor the ongoing litigation regarding the federal law,” AdventHealth representative Jeff Grainger said in a statement.
AdventHealth officials added they are committed to protecting the health of their employees, as well as their patients and communities.
“Based on scientific evidence and what we see in our hospitals every day, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at reducing both the risk of becoming infected and the level of harm in the case of a breakthrough infection,” the statement continues.
AdventHealth President and CEO Terry Shaw previously set vaccine requirement deadlines to comply with the federal vaccine mandate, which mandates vaccines for health care companies participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs.