Kaiser Permanente suspends thousands of employees who refused COVID-19 vaccine

Kaiser Permanente registered nurse Corie Robinson administers the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Kaiser Permanente nurse Sally Bing during a vaccine event.
Kaiser Permanente registered nurse Corie Robinson administers the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Kaiser Permanente nurse Sally Bing during a vaccine event. Photo credit Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images

Healthcare consortium Kaiser Permanente announced Tuesday that thousands of its employees in the U.S. have been suspended from work after choosing not to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Kaiser disclosed that about 2,200 of its employees who failed to comply with a companywide vaccine mandate were placed on unpaid administrative leave as of Oct. 1. The suspensions have impacted about two percent of Kaiser's nationwide workforce.

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In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Kaiser leadership said employees who had not yet received the jab had until Dec. 1 before they would be permanently terminated from their jobs.

The organization said it was working with suspended employees to get them vaccinated, claiming the number of outstanding cases was "declining daily."

"We will continue to work with this group of employees to allay concerns and educate them about the vaccines, their benefits and risks," the statement read.

Kaiser Permanente is the fifth-largest employer in Los Angeles County, according to 2020 data, with over 41,000 residents working for the healthcare provider.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images