Some of the state’s largest health-care systems recently announced they will require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but, at least for now, vaccinations remain voluntary for employees of Cape Fear Valley Health.

“At this time, Cape Fear Valley Health (CFVH) has not mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for employees,” according to a statement from Cape Fear, which, with more than 7,000 workers, is the area’s third-largest employer. 

“However, we strongly encourage all of our employees and the public to get vaccinated. The health system is still gathering and assessing feedback before making this decision,” Jordan said.

Vaccinations also remain voluntary for the area’s two largest employers — the uniformed armed forces and the Department of Defense (DoD). That policy could be changing, however. The Army Times reported July 1 that “the Army has directed commands to prepare to administer mandatory COVID-19 vaccines as early as Sept. 1, pending full Food and Drug Administration licensure.”

(Although vaccines have been available since December, they still are being administered under an FDA emergency-use authorization, which makes treatments that have not been fully approved available during public-health emergencies.)

The state’s two largest health-care systems — Atrium (70,000 employees) and Novant (37,000) — both recently announced all employees will be required to be vaccinated by this fall or have an approved medical or religious exemption.

Two other large North Carolina health-care systems also announced employee-vaccine requirements. Duke Health is mandating the vaccine for all employees and UNC Health will require vaccinations for employees at several of its hospitals. (The only local health-care provider affected is Duke Children's Specialty Services of Fayetteville.)

Currently, about 70 percent of U.S. troops have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, according to the Pentagon. The Navy is leading the way with 77 percent of sailors with at least one vaccine dose followed by the Army (70 percent), Air Force (61 percent) and Marine Corps (58 percent).

As with the civilian population, however, voluntary vaccinations have stalled, prompting defense officials to consider their options.

According to a memo obtained by the Army Times, the Department of the Army has ordered commanders to “continue COVID-19 vaccination operations and prepare for a directive to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for service members [on or around] 01 September 2021.”

The order is pending full FDA approval of the vaccines, the memo said. The Army Times also reported that the Pentagon has not issued any guidance on a possible DoD-wide vaccine mandate.

The newspaper also reported that the Veterans Affairs administration is considering making vaccines mandatory. The VA has more than 1,500 workers in Fayetteville, making it the area’s ninth-largest employer. Currently, 70 percent of all VA employees have been vaccinated.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough has said that increasing the number of vaccinated employees is an essential part of plans to resume full operations and that officials were considering all options.

With nearly 3,500 workers, Walmart is Fayetteville’s fourth largest employer. Like most large American corporations, vaccinations are not mandatory. In May, Walmart began giving $75 bonuses to vaccinated employees.

Although the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled recently that private employers can legally require workers to be vaccinated, few have taken that step. So far the only major U.S. companies to do so are Delta and United airlines, and in both cases the policy only affects new hires.

Incentives are the more popular route. In the Fayetteville area, for example, new employees in Amazon warehouses can earn a $100 bonus for showing proof of vaccination. (Amazon announced in May it is adding 75,000 employees.) American Airlines, meanwhile, is giving vaccinated employees an additional paid vacation day in 2022 and a $50 bonus.