As local health care workers try to keep up with a surge in hospitalizations due to COVID-19, Governor Parson is speaking out against requiring workers to get vaccinated.
At a stop in Kansas City, Parson said the state is not in a crisis and we knew a surge would hit Missouri as our vaccination rates lag.
He says the message he’s seeing out of southwest Missouri is people trying to blame somebody for the virus. “The virus itself is to blame,” Parson said.
Parson adds health care workers need to encourage people to know the importance of the vaccine instead of trying to force or scare people into taking it.
Mercy Hospital announced last week it would require all of its employees to be vaccinated.
CoxHealth is not requiring vaccinations at this time, but President and CEO Steve Edwards says an important decision point will be FDA approval of the vaccines, which he believes would change peoples’ attitudes.