Hospital workers gathered outside Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, New York, to oppose a vaccination mandate. The hospital leader said that 82% of staff were already vaccinated.
They should go into another line of work. They could pick up the virus at work or bring the virus into work. If they refuse to abide by public health requirements, they don’t belong in medical care facilities.
those who gathered around the Route 58 traffic circle outside Peconic Bay Medical Center – Northwell Health Saturday, holding signs that said “Let Me Call My Own Shots,” “My Rights Are Essential,” “From Hero To Zero,” and “My Body, My Choice, My Rights,” said they had concerns about the mandate.
Mike Hathaway, who lives in Coram and whose wife is a nurse, was among those participating. “It’s not even about politics anymore; it’s about freedom of choice. Letting people decide what’s correct for their own bodies.”
By the rhetoric they use about “my body, my choice,” you might think it was a pro-abortion rally.
Perhaps they could find outdoor work at one of the North Fork’s wonderful farms or vineyards, where they won’t endanger anyone else.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Re “It’s not even about politics anymore; it’s about freedom of choice. Letting people decide what’s correct for their own bodies.”
If there were a military draft, would these same people espouse the same attitude?
I am old enough to have been part of the last military draft during the Viet Nam era. They were confiscating our fricking bodies! And these whiners can’t even get a simple vaccination. Sheesh!
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How right you are.
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When they go into a fancy restaurant, do they insist on smoking as a right of freedom?
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I insist on going into a fancy restaurant buck naked! Hasn’t worked yet!
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Has everybody forgotten the demonstrable role being vaccinated plays in not passing the virus on to others? We are talking about a public health crisis which implies a public response to protect the health of the community. It is beyond comprehension why health care workers who are intimately involved in protecting the health of others are refusing to do so.
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There is no meat to this opinion piece. It lacks substance. Either convince people the protesters are right or convince them the protestors are wrong, with data and well thought out arguments. It is hard to believe this was published on this blog, which when discussing education and schools is always so substantive.
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Dianepagen,
I reported on a demonstration against vaccinations by hospital workers. My personal opinion is that everyone who is eligible should get the vaccine. I don’t need to persuade readers of this blog that getting vaccinated against a deadly and contagious disease is better than being unvaccinated. I have never seen people protest against vaccines for polio, measles, mumps, chickenpox, rubella, smallpox, etc.
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Do you really need arguments as to why hospital workers should be vaccinated? It’s not like these issues have not been discussed ad infinitum. The article itself provides some background information although it seems to be more focused on individual rights. As far as I can tell, no one has taken their right to remain unvaccinated away. It is a condition of employment in the healthcare field in New York. I’m sure the southern states who are overwhelmed with Covid patients will welcome these workers, NOT.
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Opinion piece?
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Roy is right, it’s not an opinion article. It’s reportage by a Riverhead Patch reporter covering the protest. The only opinions in it are expressed a few of protestors the reporter interviewed. Here & there the reporter adds a fact that counters someone’s claims. If you want a hashing out of the issue, just read through the locals’ back&forth in the comments section.
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Why does it always seem to be the loud minority that gets all the attention?
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Right? Article says “scores” of protestors. From observation of reporter-lingo I’m guessing about 42 individuals. On the other hand, this is just the virtual equivalent of the neighborhood rag (Patch.com), so not much attention. Hopefully it stays that way.
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That, actually, is not surprising. Small dogs bark more and louder.
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These people have the choice not to wear a mask. They just can’t work in a hospital, just like people who choose not to wear any shoes or socks, or are nudists, can’t work in a hospital and expect people to cater to their desire to be nude or go barefoot.
They have freedom to choose. But the women who can’t legally obtain abortions after 6 weeks do not have that freedom.
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So I just got a brilliant idea for a comedy piece. Nude medicine. The Doctor show everybody wants to watch. Playing doctor now is elevated to a new level. Talk about General hospital. How can you operate in the nude and wear protective equipment? Don’t I have a right to go nude? What a provocative show.
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LOL!! Sounds better than ER.
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Roy, while browsing the Internet yesterday, I came across a nude soccer game. Anything is possible.
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You ought to be getting some interesting spam in the near future. 🙂
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This is so sad that health care workers, of all people, would refuse to get vaccinated. I hope they aren’t anti-mask as well.
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Health care workers are ordered to wash their hands after using a restroom. They are ordered to wear protective gowns, gloves, and masks to treat patients in isolation. They are ordered to have a degree and be currently licensed. They are ordered to comply with legions of health and safety rules.
If I have to be in a hospital ever again, I don’t want those treating me to be unvaccinated. That makes them a threat to my own health and others on the floor, in the pharmacy, in the cafeteria, in the emergency and operating rooms. They take an oath to protect my health, not to jeopardize it.
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Thank you, Nancy, for this wise observation. Last April, I spent a month in the hospital. The hospital requires everyone who works there to be vaccinated. It would be terrifying if this was “a personal choice.”
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I cannot wait to be attended by the surgical nurse who considers it a right to clean his nose with his index finger during the procedure.
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Same is going on in our local upstate NY hospital. I will ask to not be seen by anyone not vaccinated. Wondering if hospital will follow through because this could cause shortage of workers.
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Hospitals would be very dangerous places if they allow unvaccinated workers
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Unfortunately, they have. It is really only since Pfizer got final approval that they have begun to mandate vaccinations. Given that hospitals are a really good place to pick up infections, I wonder how many people beside the healthcare workers were actually exposed in the hospital.
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Well, they got their marching orders from the state 8/16, with 9/27 the deadline for first shot. If you are able to put off a visit, you’ll be good to go by mid-November.
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There were about 70 comments by Riverhead-area locals to this Patch.com report. I was pleased to count only 3 or so who sided with the protestors. They kept posting an array of misinformation. The whole conversation was basically sensible neighbors refuting them with facts.
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That is a comfort. Sometimes I think that area is from a Twilight Zone episode, but it is hopeful to imagine that these folks are on the fringe.
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So healthcare workers from across long island, there supporters and anti vaxxers show up at a little community hospital on the east end of long Island. And no one on Diane’s
page can smell AstroTurf. Local News papers are always generous with crowd estimates.It helps sell advertising .
So lets call it a few dozen . Not enough to make it to the big boy paper on long Island Newsday which I subscribe to only on Sundays , only for the wife to get the Sunday Circulars.
How many in the crowd were hospital workers. How many were actually employed at this 200 bed facility.
Their politics revolts me or I would see if I could make a little extra cash.
“a mix of anti-vaxxers and healthcare workers from across Long Island, as well as their supporters,”
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oops their supporters
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“Hospital workers” tend to be low-income/low education levels— recruited by tv commercials run by for-profit schools like Bryman, Phoenix Univ. I am often shocked at how unhealthy Kaiser’s frontline workers appear!
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Meanwhile, in NYC, the vaccination rate for public school employees (72%), who have been prioritized for the vaccine since January, is barely higher than the rate for students age 12-17 (65%).
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Fire them. Any other questions . NY is an at will employment state. A private employer can terminate any employee for any reason he desires with the exclusion of the Civil Rights and People with Disabilities act.
It is pretty clear that Jacobson v Mass affirms the States rights to mandate Vaccines.
If you are a Public Worker your obligation is to the Public you serve.
And as a strong union advocate I don’t want to hear nonsense about the contract. Unions have not put it on the line for all to many issues.
Supporting morons is not going to be the one.
With the exception of some uniform services in NYC that should be cleaned up.
But no Mayor has had the fortitude to do it.
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They won’t be fired.
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These hospital workers should not be allowed on the premises if they refuse to be vaccinated.
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Fire a few and watch the vaccination rate surge. Of course that involves political will and leadership.
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The union demanded arbitration, so it’s being arbitrated. The city can’t just fire a few teachers and see what happens.
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FLERP!,
But should they be fired? Do you agree with Joel Herman that they should be fired or not?
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Joel,
Not sure how a Mayor would have the fortitude to fire them, if even the parents who are most concern with the mental well-being of their children and want schools open are not calling on those employees to be fired if they don’t get the vaccine.
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These same people are probably pro life and are against a woman’s right to choose.
They also are probably against euthanasia – but basically that’s what they are doing. Choosing possible death over life.
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