GBMC Nurses Protest Vaccine Mandate At Hospital

TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) — Nurses from Greater Baltimore Medical Center are protesting the hospital’s vaccine mandate, saying their spiritual and aesculapian exemptions are not being honored.

The mandate went into effect past month.

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A tiny radical of nurses was retired successful beforehand of the infirmary connected Thursday with signs.

“It was OK for america to enactment passim the pandemic and it was OK for america to enactment without the flu vaccine twelvemonth aft year, but abruptly it’s not OK for america to enactment now,” caregiver Casey Starshine said.

Casey Starshine has been a hospice caregiver with GBMC for 3 1/2 years and has had a spiritual exemption the full time.

GBMC’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate says that patients with nonstop diligent interaction indispensable beryllium vaccinated. The infirmary is not honoring spiritual exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The infirmary sent WJZ this statement:

“GBMC has determined that unvaccinated employees providing nonstop diligent attraction whitethorn contiguous a menace to the wellness and information of susceptible patients, and truthful granting spiritual exemptions would contiguous an undue hardship.”

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The connection besides said the infirmary is approving immoderate aesculapian exemptions.

Nurse Christine Watson said her aesculapian exemption was denied. She is breastfeeding.

“I don’t deliberation determination is immoderate information to archer maine that it’s harmless for a breastfeeding babe astatine this time,” Watson said.

Watson said she volition beryllium placed connected suspension this period and fired astatine the extremity of the year.

“I’m not taking it portion I’m breastfeeding,” Watson said. “Under nary condition americium I taking it. So, if GBMC wants to portion ways with maine past we will.”

GBMC says little than 2% of its unit is unvaccinated without an exemption.

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The infirmary strategy said it volition enactment with those employees to find them a occupation wrong the strategy that does not straight woody with diligent care.

Jessica Albert