Nationwide Children's Hospital announced Tuesday that all employees, care providers, volunteers and vendors will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
In a statement, Nationwide Children's said they are committed to leading by example as health care providers.
"The majority of our patients are under the age of 12 and unable at this time to receive the vaccine, making them among the most vulnerable. With the onset of the new, highly contagious Delta variant and recent surges in COVID-19 cases across many of our communities, we must ensure that all our team members are protected and do our part in creating the safest environment possible for all those we serve."
The deadline to be fully vaccinated is Oct. 1. Nationwide Children's said 75% of their employees are fully vaccinated.
Nationwide Children's is the third health system in central Ohio to require vaccines. Mount Carmel announced its requirement on July 8 and OhioHealth announced theirs Tuesday afternoon.
On Monday, the Ohio Hospital Association released a new policy statement, recommending hospitals “independently adopt policies requiring COVID-19 vaccination for employees and staff.”