Local health care provider reacts to new vaccine mandate

Following Thursday's Supreme Court ruling that will create a vaccine mandate for certain health care workers, one local provider says they were surprised, but are prepared for it - 13 On Your Side's Luis Lopez reports

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Places like Sunset Health have been trying for months to get the public vaccinated.

However, the Supreme Courts decision to mandate vaccines for healthcare employees has them getting ready to get their own workers the shot.

Sunset Health has not required its staff to get the vaccine yet.

Following Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling now they’ll have to. CEO David Rogers says that he saw the ruling as a surprise, but also fully understands the courts choice and feels like Sunset is prepared for the mandate.

“We here at sunset were prepared to move forward with the vaccine mandate, and we plan to do that based on whatever dates are put forth for the mandate for healthcare workers,” Rogers said.

While most healthcare workers are required to get the vaccine, the mandate almost applied to all kinds of workers.

As the ruling also denied a Biden administration requirement that would have required businesses with more than 100 employees to get their staff vaccinated.

Rogers says that he didn’t agree with that mandate, and that if it had been passed, would have created issues for those other businesses.

“We have been concerned, if they were to go forward with that mandate we feel that it in many respects just didn’t make a whole lot of sense, and also created some tremendous recruitment, retention issues for large employers,” Rogers said.

At Sunset, part of the reason they feel prepared is because many there are already vaccinated, as Rogers says that 85% of his staff has received at least one dose.