Most of Ohio’s major hospitals are requiring its staff to get COVID vaccines. While the requirement has been met by pushback from some staffers, it’s welcomed by most others.
Dr. Steven Burdette, the chief of Infectious Disease and Wright State University, said hospitals already require vaccines for many illnesses and have exceptions for medical or religious reasons. So he’s all for hospitals requiring staff to get COVID shots.
Burdette says "sick and tired of losing colleagues" in the medical field and has no problem with the vaccine requirements in hospitals because he is tired of losing his friends.
— Jo Ingles (@joingles) August 12, 2021
“I’m tired of having doctors die, I’m tired of seeing respiratory therapists die, I’m tired of seeing nurses die, I’m tired of seeing patient care techs and medical assistants die of COVID. I’ve lost colleagues. I’ve lost friends. I’ve lost peers in this area and across the nation,” Burdette said.
Burdette said more vaccinations mean safer conditions for medical professionals.
Public hospitals were excluded from a law taking effect in October that bans schools and public colleges from requiring COVID shots. But some lawmakers say they’ll back bills preventing employers from mandating COVID vaccines.
Hundreds of people protested outside two Dayton area hospitals against the vaccine requirement for health care workers, according to the Dayton Daily News.