A Houston hospital has suspended 178 staff members who have refused to abide by its mandate that employees be fully vaccinated by Monday.
Nearly 25,000 of Houston Methodist's staff members have been fully inoculated against Covid-19 as part of a vaccination requirement announced in April, Houston Methodist's president, Dr. Marc Boom, said in a statement Tuesday.
But 178 unvaccinated employees who did not get religious or medical exemptions were suspended without pay, including 27 who are only partly vaccinated.
"I wish the number could be zero, but unfortunately, a small number of individuals have decided not to put their patients first.".
There are 285 unvaccinated employees who received medical or religious exemptions and 332 more who were granted deferrals.
He accused Boom of putting profits over people to brand the hospital as the first to mandate vaccinations for its employees.
It also misstated the name of the federal law under which certain workers may be exempt from being vaccinated. »