Healthcare workers and their supporters march towards Atrium Health to protest against employer-imposed vaccinations

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – Hundreds of healthcare workers and supporters march towards Atrium Health – Main on Sunday afternoon to express their displeasure at the new healthcare system policy.

Atrium Health, one of Charlotte’s largest healthcare systems, recently announced that all of its employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

On Sunday, a peaceful protest began at Freedom Park and ended at Atrium Health – Main.

The demonstration was organized to speak out against the mandatory vaccinations issued to Atrium Health employees.

Atrium provided this statement to WBTV:

Atrium Health has a long history of protecting the health of our patients, teammates, and the communities we serve. With the new, more contagious variants now leading to an increase in hospitalizations in our region, we are demanding that our teammates be vaccinated against the virus – to avoid catching it or passing it on to others in our hospitals or other environments. clinics.

Most doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are drawn to their profession because they want to help and care for other people, especially to help them get well, stay healthy, and live longer. and in better health. The new COVID-19 vaccine requirement is designed to do just that, as science shows COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and continue to save countless lives.

We greatly appreciate all of our teammates who have shown such dedication to our patients, their loved ones and to each other during the pandemic, and we respect the rights of those who have chosen to have their voices heard peacefully and civil. Open communication is something we embrace at Atrium Health. We encourage our teammates to share any concerns they may have directly with their leaders if they have any questions about our immunization requirements.

The hospital system says there is an urgent need for their team members to be fully immunized as the new, more potent Delta variant continues to spread locally and statewide.

“We consider it essential that each of our teammates receive their vaccine to protect themselves, their families and those in their care,” the Atrium Health press release continued.

The hospital system says new variants of COVID-19 are contributing to a 200% increase in hospitalizations – and, among their patients, 99% of people hospitalized in recent weeks are unvaccinated people.

“By making the vaccine mandatory for our teammates, Atrium Health, including Wake Forest Baptist Health and Atrium Health Navicent, and many other health systems in the region, are taking reasonable steps to ensure that our teammates – many of whom stay on the front lines, interacting directly with people with COVID – are protected and available to care for community members as we address the next phases of the pandemic, ”the Atrium statement read.

The hospital system says this shouldn’t be viewed any differently from their requirement for employees to be vaccinated against the flu every year, as well as to be vaccinated against measles, chickenpox and other infectious diseases.

Novant also provided a statement to WBTV on Thursday on their vaccine needs.

An Atrium Health employee who wished to remain anonymous told WBTV that she believed the vaccine was still too new and was not yet comfortable getting it. She believes employees should have a choice and not be forced to get the vaccine if they don’t want to.

“If you want to get the shot it’s a personal decision but don’t make it, you shouldn’t force anyone to choose between an injection and a job. It’s not fair, ”the person said.

Another Atrium Health employee who wished to remain anonymous said that as a pregnant and breastfeeding mother, she was not yet comfortable receiving the vaccine either.

“As a breastfeeding mother, this mandate concerns me,” she said. “The safety of all current COVID-19 vaccines in breastfeeding people, the effects of vaccination on a breastfed baby, and the effects on milk production or excretion have not been studied. Neither I nor my colleagues should be forced to participate in a clinical trial without our explicit informed consent, which gives us the right to choose.

Copyright 2021 WBTV. All rights reserved.