Faced with being fired, health workers protest hospitals' COVID-19 vaccine requirement

Sizeable crowd protested Sunday near St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, Kentucky

Sizeable crowd protested Sunday near St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, Kentucky

THROUGHOUT THIS NEWSCAST. NOW,O T OUR OTHER BIG SRYTO TONIGHT, FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE EVEN THOUGH THEIR LIVELIHOODS ARE ON THE LINE. LOCAL HEALTH CARE WORKSER OPPOSED TO VACCINE MANDASTE PROTESTED WITH OTHER LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE TODAY OUTSIDE A BYUS HOSPITAL. WLWT NEWS 5'S’TODD DYKES IS VELI WITH MORE ON WHY COVID VACCINES ARE JUST ONE PART OF THE STORY. DDTO TODD: SAYING THEY CAN, QUOTE, "FIRE ME, I DON’T CARE," ONE VETERANURSN E SAYS BEING REQUIRED TO GET VACCINEDAT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS WOULD BE THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF ETH RIGHTS SHE’S LONG HELD DE. THIS HOMEMADE SIGN WITH THE WORDS "DON’T FIRE OUR HEROES" CAPTURED THE HEART OF THIS PROTEST OUTSIDE SAINT ELIZABHET HOSPITAL IN EDGEWOOD. >> IT’S ABOUT RIGHTS. IT’S A RIGHT TO CHOOSE. I RESPECT YOUR RIGHT TO HAVE IT AND YOU SHOULD RESPECT MY RIGHT NOT TO. TODD: CHRIS KERNS TOLD ME SHE’S BEEN A NSEUR FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES. SHE SPENT HER SUNDAY TALKING ABOUT WHY SHE THINKS IT’S WRONG FOR LOCAL HOSPITALS TO REQUIRE THAT WORKERS GET VACCINADTE AGAINST COVID-19. >> THIS IS AMERICAN RIGHTS. WE HAVE RIGHTS, AND THEY'R’ TAKING THEM AWAY. DDTO: I ASKED KERNS IF SHE FACES AN EARLY OCTOBER DEADLINE TOET G VACCINATED. >> YES. AND THEY CAN FIRE ME. I DON’T CA.RE TODD: KARLA GRIFFIN SAYS HER CAREER AS A MEDICAL OFFICE WORKER IS EQUALLY UNCERTAIN BECAUSE SHE, TOO, OPPOSSE VACCINE MANDATES. ARE YOU FACING A DEADLINE AS WELL? >> I AM. OCTOBER 1, I LOSE MY JOB. BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS. TODD: HEATHER KING WORRIES THE VACCINE REQUIREMT ENWILL HURT HOSPITAL PATIENTS THE MOST IF HEALTH CARE WORKERS LIKE HER CHSE NOOOT TO TAKE THEHOT. S >> I’M STILL UNDECIDED. IT’S A RSPEONAL CHOICE. WE HAVE TO BE FULLY VACCINATED BY OCTOBER 1 OWER LOSE OUR JOBS. AND, UNFORTUNATELY, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO SUERFF THE MOST ARE OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR PATIENTS BECAUSE THERE’S NOT GOING TO BE ANYONE TO TAKE CARE OF THEPROPM ER.LY TODD: WHETHER THAT’S TRUE REMAINS TO BE SEEN. BUT RACH, WHELO’S NOT A HETHAL CARE WORKER, WAS GLAD TO SUPPORT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WHO MAY OR MAY NOT GET VACCINATEDEC BAUSE THEY’VE BEEN ON THE PANDEMIC’S FRONT LINES. >> WE’RE JUST GIVING BACK TO THEM. THEY GAVE CK TBAO US ALL LAST YEAR. SO WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT THEM AND GIVE BACK. TODD: TIMING IS ABOUT TO MATTER A LOT TO LOCAL HOSPITAL WORKERS WHO DON’T LIKE THE IDEA OF A VACCINE REQUIRENEM THE TIMING -- REASON IS SIMPLE. IT CAN TAKE FIVE TO SIX WEEKS TO GET A VACCINE’S XIMAMUM PROTECTION AGAINST COV. AS YOU HEARD FROM THOSE COMMENTS, A COMMON DEADLINE IN THMMENTS, A COMMON DEADLINE IN IS AREA TO GET THE VACCINE AND BE FULLY VACCINATED ISHE T START OF OCTOBER, WHICH IS ABOUT SIX WEEKS AWAY

Faced with being fired, health workers protest hospitals' COVID-19 vaccine requirement

Sizeable crowd protested Sunday near St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, Kentucky

A homemade sign, with the words "Don't Fire Our Heroes," captured the message of a protest on Sunday outside a Cincinnati-area hospital."It's about rights. It's a right to choose. I respect your right to have it and you should respect my right not to," Chris Kerns, a nurse for more than three decades, said.Kerns spent her Sunday outside the St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, Kentucky talking about why she thinks it's wrong for hospitals in Greater Cincinnati to require that workers get vaccinated against COVID-19."This is American rights," Kerns said. "We have rights, and they're taking them away."Sister station WLWT asked Kerns if she faces an early October deadline to get vaccinated."Yes," Kerns said. "And they can fire me. I don't care."Karla Griffin, a medical office worker, said her career is equally uncertain because she, too, opposes vaccine mandates."Are you facing a deadline as well?" WLWT asked Griffin."I am," she said. "Oct. 1st I lose my job. But it is what it is."Heather King, a healthcare worker, worries the vaccine requirement will hurt hospital patients the most if people like her choose not to take the shot."I’m still undecided. It's a personal choice," King said. "We have to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 1 or we lose our jobs. And unfortunately, the people that are going to suffer the most are our community and our patients because there's not going to be anyone to take care of them properly."Whether that's true remains to be seen. But Rachel, who's not a health care worker, was glad to support medical professionals who may or may not get vaccinated because they've been on the pandemic's front lines."We're just giving back to them," Rachel said. "They gave back to us all last year. So we are here to support them and give back."Timing is about to matter a great deal to Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati hospital workers who don't like the idea of a vaccine requirement. That's because it can take five to six weeks to get a vaccine's maximum protection against COVID-19. A common vaccine deadline is the start of October, which is just about six weeks away.Watch the video above to learn more about this story.

EDGEWOOD, Ky. —

A homemade sign, with the words "Don't Fire Our Heroes," captured the message of a protest on Sunday outside a Cincinnati-area hospital.

"It's about rights. It's a right to choose. I respect your right to have it and you should respect my right not to," Chris Kerns, a nurse for more than three decades, said.

Kerns spent her Sunday outside the St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, Kentucky talking about why she thinks it's wrong for hospitals in Greater Cincinnati to require that workers get vaccinated against COVID-19.

"This is American rights," Kerns said. "We have rights, and they're taking them away."

Sister station WLWT asked Kerns if she faces an early October deadline to get vaccinated.

"Yes," Kerns said. "And they can fire me. I don't care."

Karla Griffin, a medical office worker, said her career is equally uncertain because she, too, opposes vaccine mandates.

"Are you facing a deadline as well?" WLWT asked Griffin.

"I am," she said. "Oct. 1st I lose my job. But it is what it is."

Heather King, a healthcare worker, worries the vaccine requirement will hurt hospital patients the most if people like her choose not to take the shot.

"I’m still undecided. It's a personal choice," King said. "We have to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 1 or we lose our jobs. And unfortunately, the people that are going to suffer the most are our community and our patients because there's not going to be anyone to take care of them properly."

Whether that's true remains to be seen. But Rachel, who's not a health care worker, was glad to support medical professionals who may or may not get vaccinated because they've been on the pandemic's front lines.

"We're just giving back to them," Rachel said. "They gave back to us all last year. So we are here to support them and give back."

Timing is about to matter a great deal to Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati hospital workers who don't like the idea of a vaccine requirement. That's because it can take five to six weeks to get a vaccine's maximum protection against COVID-19. A common vaccine deadline is the start of October, which is just about six weeks away.

Watch the video above to learn more about this story.

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