Three of the largest hospital systems in Massachusetts requiring employees get vaccinated

Three of Massachusetts’s largest hospital systems have announced they are requiring their employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Mass General Brigham said in a statement that it is requiring its 80,000 employees to get vaccinated once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants full approval to one of the three vaccines currently in use.

Thus far, more than 85 percent of Mass General’s employees have been vaccinated, the hospital said. The hospital system has administered more than 450,000 vaccine doses to patients and employees.

Likewise, Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH) announced on Wednesday that it plans to require all physicians and staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19 “as a condition of employment” after at least one of the vaccines gets final approval.

BILH President and CEO Kevin Tabb said in a video message that some employees didn’t feel comfortable getting vaccinated because the vaccines only had emergency authorization.

However, Tabb said he “fully expects” for the vaccines to be fully approved “later this year.” At that point, inoculations will be mandatory.