51 Employees Suing Henry Ford Health System Over COVID Vaccine Mandate

Dozens of employees are suing Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) over his policy that mandates COVID-19 vaccinations, among other things, for all staff.

More than 50 HFHS employees – a mix of registered nurses, doctors, pharmacy technicians and other staff – have filed a complaint against the healthcare system, saying its new policy to mandate vaccines COVID among staff is unconstitutional.

The healthcare system, which employs more than 30,000 people, announced in June that all staff, students, volunteers and contractors must receive their COVID-19 vaccine by September 10, 2021 – the world’s first healthcare system. Michigan to issue such a warrant. The HFHS already requires that employees be vaccinated against other diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella and pertussis.

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Employees who are not fully vaccinated by Sept. 10 under the new policy would be initially suspended and “until Oct. 1, 2021, to remedy their non-compliance,” according to the lawsuit.

The 51 HFHS employees filed a lawsuit against the health care system Monday – four days before the policy deadline – in U.S. District Court for the District of Eastern Michigan. Citing unverified side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, the complainants allege that the healthcare system is putting them at risk by forcing employees to get vaccinated against the virus, allegedly violating their “rights to personal autonomy and autonomy.” bodily integrity ”and their“ right to refuse medical treatment.

In June, the health system reported that about 68% of its employees had already been vaccinated against COVID-19. That number rose to around 70% in July.

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The lawsuit filed on Monday argues that HFHS does not have the legal authority to “forcibly inject drugs into the body of a non-consenting person.” However, the healthcare system does not forcefully inject COVID vaccines to staff members, but rather enforces vaccination as a requirement in the workplace, which could apparently lead to layoffs if staff fail to do so. not compliant.

The complainants also cite several statistics from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) which claim that the COVID vaccine has resulted in thousands of injuries and deaths. Reports submitted to the system, however, have not been verified and cannot be claimed as fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which co-sponsors the reporting system.

“Although they are very important for monitoring vaccine safety, VAERS reports alone cannot be used to determine whether a vaccine has caused or contributed to an adverse event or disease,” one reads. Federal government warning. “Reports may contain incomplete, inaccurate, incidental or unverifiable information. Much of the reporting to VAERS is voluntary, which means it is subject to bias. This creates specific limits on how the data can be used scientifically. “

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Health care experts and authorities across the country have maintained that coronavirus vaccines, especially mRNA vaccines, are safe. Pfizer’s COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, now called Comirnaty, received full FDA approval in August. In the midst of its approval, the Food and Drug Administration cited months of real evidence that serious side effects from vaccines are extremely rare.

More than 66% of Michigan residents over the age of 16 have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. More than 375 million doses of the COVID vaccine have been administered in the United States and more than 5.5 billion doses have been administered worldwide.

See more Michigan COVID data here.

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In July, amid some protests over the vaccines mandate, HFHS CEO Bob Riney said the organization was committed to working with staff concerned about vaccines as part of the new Politics.

“We received broad support from our patients, team members and the community for our decision to require the COVID-19 vaccine for team members. At the same time, we recognize that uncertainty remains for some and respect the rights of our Henry Ford family members, as well as those of our communities at large, to voice their concerns. Data and science continue to strengthen the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, including the mitigation of new and emerging threats like the Delta variant. As such, we know more than ever that vaccination is the absolute best way to end this pandemic and we remain confident in our decision. We are deeply committed to working alongside every team member who has concerns or questions. “

Bob Riney, President, Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer, Henry Ford Health System

Other Michigan health systems, like Beaumont Health, Ascension, and Trinity Health, mandate COVID vaccines for employees. Experts say companies have the power to require vaccines for their staff members.

In December, the Employment Commission for Equal Opportunities determined that it was legal to require employees to be vaccinated, as long as there are exceptions for medical and religious reasons (which is included in the new HFHS policy).

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There is also a legal precedent that states require people to get vaccinated. In 1905, Cambridge, Massachusetts fined people who refused to be vaccinated against smallpox. A pastor sued, but the courts said a community had the right to protect itself.

COVID-19 has increased across Michigan and the United States in recent months, driven by the highly contagious delta variant after the country experienced a drop in the spread of the virus earlier this summer.

Following: COVID-19 surge in United States: Summer of hope ends in gloom

You can read the full lawsuit against HFHS below.

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Following: Michigan COVID News

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