Can Michigan Employers Mandate COVID-19 Vaccinations?

Can Michigan employers mandate COVID-19 vaccinations? The answer to this question is yes, although it could cause a few problems.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Ford Motor Company has said it's ordering a dozen ultra cold freezers to store coronavirus vaccines globally when they become available.

General Motors Company plans to share information on vaccine distribution to its employees in the next few weeks.

Several companies are studying the most effective approach to distributing vaccines to employees.

It's not just hospital systems preparing for the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine. Companies ranging from the Detroit 3 automakers to restaurants are thinking about how they communicate to their employees about the vaccine, and if they should make it available, or even mandate it. (Detroit Free Press)

With Christmas coming up in roughly two weeks, two COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna could be ready to go.

In Michigan, they will be available in limited quantities initially, with the first going to front line health care workers.

Once we make it to January, state officials hope to expand the vaccine to more populations, with a general vaccine available to the public by late spring.

Two of Michigan's largest nonprofit hospital systems, Beaumont Health and the Henry Ford Health System, said they're not planning on mandating the vaccine.

According to several employment lawyers, there are exemptions for employees with disabilities, such as an underlying condition that would prevent getting a vaccine, and religious beliefs. (Detroit Free Press)