St. Agnes President Says Most Employees Support Vaccine Mandate

The planned walkout at SSM Health in Fond du Lac Wednesday featured about 60 or so supporters lined up on the sidewalk across from the hospital on Division St.

The group, Healthcare Employees For Medical Freedom of Fond du Lac County, carried signs and flags and a message. Amy Seibel was there to support her friend who is an employee at SSM Health and also had COVID. “She recovered well from COVID, she has COVID antibodies, she’s not getting COVID or passing it on. There’s no reason at this point to be forced to get a vaccination that is absolutely useless to her right now.”

In a statement sent to KFIZ News, Kathryn Vergos, President of St. Agnes Hospital said “The majority of our SSM Health employees overwhelmingly support the vaccine mandate. Currently, 81 percent of our employees in Wisconsin are fully vaccinated. However, we recognize there are some employees who oppose the mandate. SSM Health believes we have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of our teams, patients, their loved ones and the most vulnerable among us in the communities we serve. The COVID-19 vaccines are proven to be safe and effective at preventing the transmission of COVID-19 and serious illness. We are requiring our team members to be vaccinated to help prevent further spread and mutations of the virus.”

The group opposed to the mandate is planning to gather again next Wednesday, August 18 from 11-1p.