In a case that has far-reaching implications, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Houston hospital employees who were ordered to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot or face termination. The federal …
. In recent weeks, a few other major hospitals have imposed requirements similar to Houston Methodist’s, including the University of Pennsylvania, University of Louisville, New York Presbyterian and several major hospitals in the Washington, D.C., area.Houston Methodist’s CEO Marc Boom said the court ruling will allow more hospitals to act.
“We can now put this behind us and continue our focus on unparalleled safety, quality, service and innovation,” Boom said after the ruling. “Our employees and physicians made their decisions for our patients, who are always at the center of everything we do.” The lawsuit that was dismissed was filed by 117 workers at Houston Methodist. Jennifer Bridges, a nurse at Houston Methodist’s Baytown hospital, led the group and said she turned down a shot because she considered it experimental and dangerous.“This doesn’t surprise me,” Bridges said of the ruling. “Methodist is a very large company, and they are pretty well-protected in a lot of areas. We knew this was going to be a huge fight, and we are prepared to fight it.
The plaintiffs argued that mandating a vaccine that was not fully approved by the US Food and Drug Administration was unlawful. The FDA has authorized the Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines under a special provision for emergencies.“The hospital’s employees are not participants in a human trial,” he wrote. “They are licensed doctors, nurses, medical technician, and staff members. The hospital has not applied to test the COVID-19 vaccines on its employees.
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