Sources told ESPN that the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals made it mandatory for all full-time non-playing employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. They were the first teams in Major League Baseball who made vaccination a conditional of employment.
According to a source familiar, the Astros were the first to be required to get compulsory vaccination. They did this with their major league team and the three minor league teams that they own.
The Nationals informed employees earlier this month that they needed to provide proof of vaccination or to grant a religious or medical exemption in order to receive the vaccine. Thursday was the deadline for proof.
Employees without exemptions or proof of vaccination will be fired if they are not vetted. This process is expected to continue through September. A spokesperson for the Astros declined to comment.
The Nationals stated in a statement to ESPN that they had made COVID-19 mandatory for all full-time employees. The policy was notified to employees on August 12, and they had until August 26th for proof of vaccination or proof of their first shot. We as a company have a responsibility for keeping our employees safe. We felt that mandating vaccinations was the best thing we could do for them and their community.
Outside of baseball, mandates for vaccines in professional sports across North America are much more common than they were previously. Numerous NHL teams have made mandatory vaccinations for all employees. The NBA announced Friday that it will require a wide variety of employees, including front-office, medical, and coaching staffs, to get vaccinated.
Numerous NFL teams also have vaccination policies. The NFL proposed a mandate for players to get vaccines, which the NFL Players Association resisted.
There are many variables in the baseball vaccine rates. Three-quarters of all teams have reached the Tier 1 threshold for Tier 1 employees. This includes players, coaches and other personnel. It is the minimum required to loosen COVID protocol restrictions.
Major League Baseball's commissioner's offices have a mandatory vaccination policy. Commissioner Rob Manfred stated at the All-Star Game that he believes in vaccination. I am open to the fact that different opinions may exist. I hope everyone gets vaccinated."
The collective bargaining agreement which governs the player-team relationship means that neither the Nationals (who have already had two COVID-19 epidemics in their clubhouse) nor any other team cannot force players to get vaccinated. When Manfred was asked about a mandate for vaccines for players, he said that he thought it would be beneficial for all of them, but that he and the union members work together.
