Group of Houston Methodist nurses host walkout today over COVID-19 vaccine job requirement

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — One of the nurses suing Houston Methodist Hospital over its COVID-19 vaccine requirement led a walkout Monday evening as she completed her shift.

Several employees from different branches and many supporters met at Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital to greet the nurses with cheers and rounds of applause.”We support their right to choose,” said Betsy Larsen, a retired Houston Methodist nurse.

“We’re not gonna put up with it were gonna fight back,” said another supporter.

Jennifer Bridges told she does not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine because it does not have full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The vaccine is currently being used in the U.S. under emergency use authorization from the FDA. Pfizer began its full application for full approval last month.

On May 28, a group of 117 Houston Methodist employees sued the hospital system for requiring the vaccine as a condition of employment. The medical giant has given workers a deadline of receiving the vaccine by June 7 or face losing their jobs.

The lawsuit asks a federal court to prevent the hospital group from taking action against the employees.

“We’re all suspended right now,” said Bridges. “We’re supposed to meet with a federal judge this week so he can choose to let us go back to work.”

Houston Methodist claims that most of their employees have complied with the vaccination deadline. But Bridges says that unless the courts intervene, Monday will be her final shift at the Baytown campus. She also claimed she will be suspended for two weeks without pay and eventually terminated.

The company says they support the rights of employees to peacefully gather, but they can’t allow patient care to suffer.