Froedtert will terminate employees not vaccinated against COVID-19

Froedtert Hospital is alerting its employees that failure to receive the new omicron-specific COVID-19 booster will result in termination.

The policy, first reported by TMJ4, states employees now are unable to claim “religious or medical exemptions,” as a reason not to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Unlike the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, Novavax is protein, not mRNA-based.

This means fetal cell lines were not used in its development. The use of fetal cell lines in the mRNA vaccines allowed employees to receive religious or medical exemptions to the hospital’s vaccination policy. 

The policy shift comes as the new booster shot is now available in Wisconsin. 

Froedtert’s full statement is below: 

“Froedtert Health requires staff and providers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a federal requirement that is monitored for compliance. We join many other health systems around southeast Wisconsin and the U.S. that have made vaccination a condition of employment.

The Novavax vaccination for COVID-19 is now available. This protein-based vaccination option eliminates conflicts for those staff with religious or medical exemptions caused by mRNA-based vaccines and other concerns. Since those staff are now eligible for a vaccination that does not conflict with their religious beliefs or medical situation, their exemption will expire. This affects a small percentage of staff with a vaccine exemption. Eligible staff continue to be exempt from a COVID-19 vaccine for religious and medical reasons.

Froedtert Health respects the right of staff and providers to engage in activity protected by state and federal law.”

This story will be updated.

Jessica Van Egeren can be reached at jvanegeren@gannett.com or (920) 213-5695.