178 staff at a Houston Methodist Hospital have been suspended after refusing to acquire the COVID-19 vaccination despite a deadline of this week for inoculation.
The hospital said on Tuesday that 178 full-time or part-time staff who were not completely vaccinated and were not granted an exemption or deferral were suspended for 14 days without pay for failing to meet the criteria.
Those who have been suspended will be fired if they do not get vaccinated within the two-week timeframe, according to a hospital official.
“I am confident they will get their second doses soon,” he added of the suspended staff, who had all got one dosage of the vaccination.
He claimed 285 employees were given medical or religious exemptions, while 332 were given deferrals due to pregnancy or other reasons.
In a statement, he stated, “This decision was ultimately made for our patients, as they are at the core of all we do at Houston Methodist.”
117 Houston Methodist workers sued the hospital last month for requiring immunization. The hospital was accused of “illegally ordering its workers to be injected with an experimental vaccination as a condition of employment,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed in Montgomery County.
The lawsuit claims that forcing the plaintiffs to take the vaccination is against Texas law, and it seeks a temporary restraining order to prevent the hospital from firing staff.
Last month, the lawsuit’s attorney, Jared Woodfill, claimed ABC News that Houston Methodist is pressuring staff to receive the injection in order to enhance the hospital’s earnings.
Employers can legally require COVID-19 vaccines to re-enter a physical workplace if they follow requirements to find alternative arrangements for employees who are unable to get vaccinated due to medical reasons or religious beliefs, according to new guidance issued last month by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, a federal government agency that protects workers from discrimination.