State Sen. Lana Theis, R-Brighton, issued the following statement on Thursday after Trinity Health followed Henry Ford in mandating their employees receive a COVID-19 vaccine:
“Health care system, or not, at will employee, or not — no job provider should be able to require an employee to get an experimental, emergency use COVID-19 vaccine if they do not want one. Never in American history have people been required to receive a medical treatment that does not have full FDA approval.
“Further, the waiver process should be followed if they have medical or religious objections, and especially if an employee has already recovered from the virus. Naturally acquired immunity is being ignored by many in the medical community, even though a recent study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic of prior infected employees showed absolutely no reinfection and, thus, no need for a vaccination.
“Of course, anyone wishing to get the shot should, and I would never discourage people from making that decision. But, employers should not be involved in people’s medical decisions. Recommending, let alone requiring, a medical treatment that would benefit anyone other than the individual receiving the treatment violates a core tenant of medical ethics. It’s not right, and it should not be legal.”
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