Two weeks ago, employees at Houston Methodist Hospital and its seven medical facilities were given until June 7th to get a COVID vaccine or they would be suspended without pay.

It should also be noted that of the nearly 178 people suspended, 27 of those only received the first dose of the vaccine.

This comes after Governor Abbott signed Texas Bill 968, making it unlawful for businesses to "prohibit any business operating in Texas from requiring vaccine passports or any vaccine information".

Texas Senate Bill 968 mostly has to do with Texas' preparedness for and response to public health emergencies, but there's language beginning on page 13 of the legislation that specifically bans businesses from requiring someone to provide documentation certifying their vaccination status. Basically, they can't deny you entry or service if you don't have proof you were vaccinated for COVID-19.

Apparently that doesn't apply to employees, because these folks were told that if by June 21st they didn't receive the vaccine, they would be terminated.

Well here we are, June 23rd, and all of those employees have either quit or have been terminated.

KHOU-TV reports that the workers were terminated after a judge dismissed an employee lawsuit alleging the mandate on its employees was unlawful.

The judge, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes wrote in dismissing the suit:

"This claim is false, and it is also irrelevant, Bridges argues that, if she is fired for refusing to be injected with a vaccine, she will be wrongfully terminated. Vaccine safety and efficacy are not considered in adjudicating the issue.”

When I wrote this story, I checked the CDC website specifically for information regarding workers in the medical field being required to be vaccinated and it said that:

The federal government does not mandate (require) vaccination for individuals. For some healthcare workers or essential employees, a state or local government or employer, for example, may require or mandate that workers be vaccinated as a matter of state or other law.

Unfortunately, these workers have to find another job because they won't take a vaccine not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and still being monitored for effectiveness against COVID-19 complications.

 

 

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