Legal experts say such vaccine requirements, particularly in a public health crisis, will probably continue be upheld in court as long as employers provide reasonable exemptions, including for medical conditions or religious objections.
FILE - In this June 7, 2021, file photo, demonstrators at Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital in Baytown, Texas, wave at cars that honk at them to support their protest against a policy that says hospital employees must get vaccinated against COVID-19 or lose their jobs. A federal judge dismissed their lawsuit, saying if workers don’t like the rule, they can go find another job.
The ruling Saturday in the closely watched legal case over how far health care institutions can go to protect patients and others against the coronavirus is believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S. But it won't be the end of the debate. The Houston Methodist employees likened their situation to medical experiments performed on unwilling victims in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The judge called that comparison “reprehensible” and said claims made in the lawsuit that the vaccines are experimental and dangerous are false.“These folks are not being imprisoned. They’re not being strapped down.
“You did the right thing. You protected 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 in a statement to employees. , Indiana's biggest hospital system, is requiring all its employees be fully vaccinated by Sept. 1. So far, just over 60% of its 34,000 employees have been vaccinated, spokesman Jeff Swiatek said.Kasey Ladig, an intensive care nurse and outpatient coordinator in the bone marrow transplant unit at IU Health, said she quit the job she loved the day the policy was announced.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Judge rules in favor of a Houston hospital requiring employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19'The plaintiffs are not just jeopardizing their own health; they are jeopardizing the health of doctors, nurses, support staff, patients and their families,' a judge said. The lead plaintiff 'can freely choose to accept or refuse a COVID-19 vaccine; however if she refuses she will simply need to work somewhere else,' he later wrote.
Read more »
Judge dismisses lawsuit by Houston hospital employees over Covid-19 vaccinationsThe lead plaintiff, Jennifer Bridges, likened her employer's vaccination requirement to forced medical experimentation during the Holocaust.
Read more »
Federal Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against Houston Hospital Network That Mandates Employee Covid-19 VaccinesIn 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 …
Read more »
Covid-19 Visa Backlogs, Travel Curbs Strain Businesses in Need of WorkersPandemic-related travel restrictions are disrupting U.S. companies that rely on foreign professionals or seasonal hires who can’t enter the U.S., further pinching an already tight labor market.
Read more »
New York City Ticker-Tape Parade to Honor Covid-19 Front-Line WorkersNew York City will honor what Mayor Bill de Blasio called “the heroes of the fight against Covid,” from healthcare professionals to bodega workers, with a ticker-tape parade on July 7
Read more »
Judge tosses Texas hospital workers' COVID vaccine requirement challengeA federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by employees of a Houston hospital system over its requirement that its staff be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Read more »