Johns Hopkins Hospital: Johns Hopkins Medicine to Require COVID-19 Vaccinations for Personnel

Johns Hopkins Medicine is taking an essential step in protecting the health of patients, staff and the surrounding community with a new policy requiring clinical and non-clinical personnel to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 1, 2021.

This policy, which was announced today, applies to faculty, staff, temporary staff, students, postdoctoral fellows, house staff, providers, volunteers and vendors at all Johns Hopkins Medicine locations.

“Every person who is vaccinated helps to bring an end to this pandemic,” says Paul Rothman, M.D., Dean of the medical faculty for the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Chief Executive Officer of Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Since Johns Hopkins Medicine first offered the COVID-19 vaccine to our personnel in December 2020, we know that more than three-quarters of our workforce have been vaccinated. To avoid a rise in viral transmission as restrictions are lifted, we need as many people vaccinated as possible.”

All Johns Hopkins Medicine personnel impacted by this policy will be given access to a portal where they can securely submit documentation indicating their vaccination status, or where they can request an exemption for religious or medical reasons. September 1 is the date by which all personnel must be “fully vaccinated,” which the CDC defines as two weeks after receiving the second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Personnel who remain unvaccinated after September 1 will be asked to submit to a COVID-19 test once per week.

“As health care providers, it is our responsibility to do everything we can to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Kevin Sowers, M.S.N., R.N., F.A.A.N., President of the Johns Hopkins Health System and Executive Vice President of Johns Hopkins Medicine. “We will do our part to protect and improve the health of our patients, our personnel and our community. Vaccines are central to the effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and data show that vaccines are safe, effective, and essential to saving lives.”

Vaccinations are not currently required for patients being treated at Johns Hopkins Medicine; however, all community members are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Johns Hopkins Medicine will continue to require clinical staff to wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and patients will continue to be required to wear face coverings inside Johns Hopkins Medicine buildings.