A nurse in Missouri is out of a job after refusing to comply with her hospital’s requirement that all employees get an annual flu vaccine. News of the nurse’s firing sparked protest, according to Yahoo News.
The nurse, who has not been publicly identified, had been granted a religious exemption from the annual flu shot when she worked for St. Anthony’s Medical Center before it was acquired by Mercy South Hospital this year, protest organizer Nelia Aubuchon, who said she is close to the nurse, told the newspaper.
“That’s the problem here; they declined the religious exemption,” said Aubuchon.
The company implemented its flu shot policy several years ago and received 170 requests for medical or religious exemptions to the flu vaccine from its 44,000 employees this year, according to a hospital statement given to Yahoo Lifestyle. Most of the requests were granted, but those whose requests were denied were told this week, the hospital says.
