“There are so many” What if? “There,” said a nurse, who wished to remain anonymous. “June 7 is the deadline. It’s” get the vaccine “or” pack. “
Assistance began a petition in the hope of waiving the mandatory vaccination requirement for all Houston Methodist staff.
“We’re not saying we’ll never get it, we just want more time,” said the nurse. “We want more research. We want it to be thoroughly approved by the FDA before it is actually put into our bodies.”
She said right now that a group of staff at her hospital are too scared to get the vaccine, but are even more worried about losing their jobs. They believe the administration of the vaccine should be a choice.
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“I’m basically fighting for everyone who is too scared to talk now,” she said.
Meanwhile, legal analyst Steve Shellist said honestly, nurses do not have many rights, especially during a pandemic. He said the law is quite clear, and the only exceptions include religious or health reasons.
“The hospital has the right to say, ‘If you are in close contact with patients and other healthcare providers, you need to get vaccinated and if you can’t, you will not work here.’ ” he explained.
Houston Methodist President and CEO Dr. Marc Boom said he owes it to patients to put them first and make them feel safe, so the vaccine is 100% mandatory. Boom said the hospital respects his decision and believes it is 100% safe and the best option.
The Houston Methodist recently argued a town hall for its employees to ease fears and answer questions.
“Working in health care is a privilege,” Boom said. “With responsibility comes responsibility.”
As for the nurse, she said she takes her job seriously, but just wants to take the vaccine on her own when it’s ready.
“If someone wanted to hire a good nurse, I would be happy to get another job,” she said.
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