700 Mayo Clinic workers out, non-compliant with vaccine mandate

(Rochester, MN) -- About 700 workers at Rochester-based Mayo Clinic are out of work after failing to comply with the health system's vaccine mandate.  

Employees were required to have either their first shots or an exemption for medical or religious reasons by Monday. Mayo says the policy is necessary to create a safe treatment environment for patients who come in from around the world for complex care.  

Officials say the majority of exemption requests were honored and that nearly 99-percent of staff at all locations complied with the mandate requirements.