Texas hospital suspends 178 employees who refused covid vaccination

[BUtterfield 8 41,818]

A Houston hospital has suspended 178 staff members who have refused to abide by its mandate that employees be fully vaccinated by Monday.

Nearly 25,000 of Houston Methodist's staff members have been fully inoculated against Covid-19 as part of a vaccination requirement announced in April, Houston Methodist's president, Dr. Marc Boom, said in a statement Tuesday.

But 178 unvaccinated employees who did not get religious or medical exemptions were suspended without pay, including 27 who are only partly vaccinated.

"We won't have the final numbers for two weeks as employees can still get vaccinated with their second dose or with the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine," Boom's statement said. "I wish the number could be zero, but unfortunately, a small number of individuals have decided not to put their patients first."

There are 285 unvaccinated employees who received medical or religious exemptions and 332 more who were granted deferrals.

Boom said that he understood that it was a "very difficult decision" for some employees to be vaccinated but that they did the right thing to protect "our patients, your colleagues, your families, and our community."

"The science proves that the vaccines are not only safe, but necessary if we are going to turn the corner against COVID-19," Boom said. "The mRNA technology behind the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines isn't new or experimental. It's been around for many years."

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[ProfessionalClown 10,647]

God I hate antivaxxers 

[Kadikaado 4,302]

The hospital is 100% right, but I disagree about not paying employees who took their first vaccine if they didn't have the time yet to take their second shot.

And if your religion forbid you from taking vaccines you shouldn't work at a hospital. If you don't take vaccines you are a risk to the patients, like biohazard.

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

This is outrageous...they legally can't fire them, but essentially it's like forcing a treatment on someone or be out of work...are you serious? People have a right to get whatever health treatment they want or not...it's not even a political thing...it's a basic human right and HIPAA...

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Kadikaado said:

 but I disagree about not paying employees who took their first vaccine if they didn't have the time yet to take their second shot.

This

[Pretty Please 634]

2 minutes ago, TimisaMonster said:

This is outrageous...they legally can't fire them, but essentially it's like forcing a treatment on someone or be out of work...are you serious? People have a right to get whatever health treatment they want or not...it's not even a political thing...it's a basic human right and HIPAA...

You can fire an employee for whatever reason you want, i think?
 

it says that they have hundreds religious exemptions and hundreds more deferrals. If you don’t trust or believe in science backed medicine you shouldn’t be helping administer it. 

[KillerMonster 2,361]

This is wrong on so many levels. 

[FATCAT 60,888]

1 minute ago, TimisaMonster said:

This is outrageous...they legally can't fire them, but essentially it's like forcing a treatment on someone or be out of work...are you serious? People have a right to get whatever health treatment they want or not...it's not even a political thing...it's a basic human right and HIPAA...

They can work somewhere else. Tons of places are hiring. 

Personally, I approve of not hiring or firing health care workers that don't have valid reasons to stay up to date on all their shots. At the end of the day, it speaks to their lack of qualifications for that job. We're still in a pandemic, and dumbassses that don't get the shot are only prolonging it.

[Cookie Tookie 10,546]

This has to be a joke.

[Fresco 1,688]

There is a reason that all medical employees were in the first group to get the vaccine. They are highly likely to get exposed and then expose other vulnerable patients. Unvaccinated people should not work in medical facilities. They should quit the job and get a different career, imo. I have no sympathy for the stubborn that refuse the shots. None.

[ALGAYDO 35,091]

I’m kinda split on this, but I’m leaning more towards the hospital’s side tbh 

 

[HuffsAhoy 7,433]

It's a bit extreme to punish the ones who have received their first dose. 

[UnknownUser71 2,878]

it's what they deserve.

[RAMROD 117,032]

Well, what do they expect? If you are medic team, there are no other options for you except get vaccinated, since you are the forefront of this battle.

[PartySick 172,507]

52 minutes ago, Pretty Please said:

You can fire an employee for whatever reason you want, i think?
 

it says that they have hundreds religious exemptions and hundreds more deferrals. If you don’t trust or believe in science backed medicine you shouldn’t be helping administer it. 

Yup. Texas is a right to work state, any employer can terminate an employee for any reason.

But beyond that, your second point is dead on. If you don't believe in medicine, you shouldn't be practicing it.