A nurse for 35 years had to resign from where she had been working because of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed by the state. She said that she decided to leave because, according to her, “the risks of getting the vaccine outweigh the benefits,” contrary to what experts say.
Doctors across the world continue to urge people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as the vaccines reduce the risks of severe coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
Who Is The Nurse
The nurse, identified as Kim Sheridan, said she has been working at a local long-term care facility for the past 20 years. She revealed that after considering the pros and cons of leaving her job, she decided to resign finally, WKTV reported.
Sheridan noted, “It was my choice to resign because I’d chosen not to get the vaccine. For me, the risks of the vaccine outweigh the benefits for myself, and I believe where there’s risks, there needs to be a choice, and I feel that my choice and a lot of people’s choices have been taken away from them.”
Sheridan did not say which facility she worked at, but she noted that she worked with an infected population. Despite working closely with them, she never got COVID-19.
Taking A Break And Her Wish To Have Her Decision Respected
Although Sheridan resigned from being a nurse, she said she hopes to get back into the healthcare system eventually. She pointed out that it’s simply what she does and who she is. She has to leave it now and wishes other people would respect her decision.
Sheridan added, “So when I’m hearing other people saying ‘shame on you, you need to protect other people.’ No, it’s supposed to protect me. I’ve already bore witness to many people being Covid positive who were vaccinated, so these are my personal choices in life, and I feel that I’m making these personal choices and the government saying no, shame on you, you’re out of a job. We live in the United States. We should be able to make our own medical choices.”
Other Healthcare Professionals Looking Into Resigning
On Monday, the COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed against healthcare workers in New York state expired. Thousands of healthcare workers remained unvaccinated despite the deadline given to them. Many have expressed challenging the mandate, while others opted to quit their job instead of being forced to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the data released, around 70,000 out of the 450,000 healthcare workers remain unvaccinated in New York. The vaccine mandate said that the healthcare workers should have at least one shot to continue working. Because many remain unvaccinated, there is now a shortage of hospital staff in New York state.
Also Read: New Rules On Vaccine Mandates: Who All Are Required To Show Proof Of Vaccination At Work
