CLEVELAND — Dozens of people gathered in Cleveland to protest the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.
What You Need To Know
- Dozens of people protested outside of the Cleveland Clinic
- The protestors were protesting against the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers
- Under a federal mandate, all healthcare workers will have to be fully vaccinated by January 2022
A federal vaccine mandate will require all healthcare workers to be fully vaccinated by January 2022. It's something that some healthcare workers oppose.
Healthcare workers and supporters believe they shouldn't be forced to put something into their bodies.
"I'm here in support of all the healthcare heroes that we've been told were our heroes for the last year and now they're being forced to do medical decisions that they don't want to do with their bodies," said Brian Benander, a protestor.
They also worry the mandate could cause a shortage of healthcare personnel.
"These entities could potentially lose thousands of workers, which will put healthcare (in) jeopardy. Your emergency room visits, your bedside nursing, surgeries. All these things could be compromised if we lose as many healthcare workers as we are thinking we will," said another protester.
The Cleveland Clinic released a statement about the protest, saying they value their workers and added that if the hospital does not comply with the federal mandate, it could impact their ability to care for patients.