Barbara Goldberg, Peter Szekely

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Jennifer Bridges, a Houston Methodist Hospital nursing assistant, loved her job. But she decided not to be inoculated for COVID-19 because she believed the vaccine was more deadly than it was.

Bridges was one of approximately 150 workers who were either fired or quit to comply with Methodist’s requirement. Methodist was the first major health system in the United States to require vaccinations. The hospital system had approximately 25,000 employees who also complied.

Bridges, 39-year-old Houstonian, stated that she has never felt more confident about any situation. Her $70,000/year job was upended on June 21, which was the last day for employees to receive a jab. I didn’t feel that there had been proper research. It was very fast developed.”

Houston Methodist is just one of many private companies that make vaccinations mandatory for their employees. New York City and California have both required healthcare workers to be vaccinated.

In boosting healthcare vaccination rates, mandates have been effective. For example, in New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that 92% of more than 625,000 state employees were vaccinated. This is an increase from the 73% reported on August 16, when Andrew Cuomo, former governor, set a Sept. 27 deadline.

Howard Zucker, then-Health Commissioner for Howard Zucker stated that the mandate would help close the vaccine gap and decrease the spread of highly contagious Delta variant.

Despite this, some people still have reservations about the health care system. Interviewees by Reuters claimed that while they have been immunized for many other diseases, the absence of long-term data about the COVID vaccines was enough to cause them uncertainty after decades of employment security.

Medical experts spoke out in support of vaccines in America, stating that they received an emergency authorization from Food and Drug Administration in under a year. This was due to factors such as ample funding and subject testing, piggybacking on earlier research and international collaboration.

“SLAP IN MY FACE”

Many workers who left had sufficient financial resources to support their beliefs.

Bridges was able to refuse the shot because of the demand for nurses. This allowed her to maintain financial security. She started her training to be a nurse at a private company, which does not have a vaccine mandate.

Although Nurse Katie Yarber did find a job at Houston Methodist after she left, it was only after being without a regular paycheck for 12 weeks and losing a large chunk of her savings. After 14 years, she says she is not regretting her decision.

Yarber, who is 35 years old, stated that she will not receive the vaccine as a result of her religious beliefs. The hospital, however, rejected this statement. Yarber is also concerned about long-term side effects.

Yarber stated that “it was almost like an insult to my face.” Yarber began her career at the hospital in medical records clerk role before pursuing a nursing degree. “I came to work and did my job. I smiled. My job was very rewarding.

Yarber said that she had already been diagnosed with COVID and is currently a nurse case manager at work. Yarber was briefly employed at Texas Children’s Hospital before she had to be vaccinated again.

Carolyn Euart was one of the 175 people who were fired last Monday for refusing to get vaccinated at Novant Health in North Carolina. Her next career move is to look for another.

Euart (56), who has been a patient service coordinator for 24 years, is currently exploring the possibility of opening a sweet shop and dessert restaurant.

She felt that the vaccine risk was higher than COVID after battling cancer for four years.

She said, “I had to have the job but it wasn’t worth my time.”

Novant spokeswoman on Tuesday said that 99 percent of their more than 35,000 employees were vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that more than 77% have been vaccinated. According to Reuters, the country’s COVID deaths have surpassed 700,000.

Andrew Kurtyko, a nurse at Mount St. Mary’s Hospital Lewiston, said that he was ready to lose his $90,000. The “travel nurse” job would allow him to earn even more, as it allows him to take on temporary positions all over the country.

Kurtyko is 47-years old and a divorcing father to a student with a mortgage.

Kurtyko, like other doctors, questions the safety and efficacy of vaccines. The Catholic Hospital is also offering him a religious exemption. In the event he’s denied, he will lose his job in October 12.

Bob Nevens is 47-year old and Houston Methodist’s most senior risk manager. He prefers taking his chance with COVID rather than a vaccine. He was also one of the nation’s first mandate victims in April.

Nevens stated that he rejected Methodist’s mandate due to a dearth of data and the fact that it didn’t acknowledge natural immunity for people who have already been diagnosed with COVID, as well as because vaccine makers are exempt from liability.

He claimed that money was not an issue for him.

He said, “Financially I’m fine.” He added, “Mentally it’s exhausting. It was because I wasn’t ready to make this decision. Houston Methodist was my retirement plan.