Hundreds gather outside of St. Elizabeth Edgewood, protesting required vaccinations – WLWT Cincinnati

Hundreds of people have gathered outside of St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, protesting the requirement of COVID-19 vaccinations for employees throughout the Greater Cincinnati Health Systems. St. Elizabeth's was one of 11 hospital systems in Kentucky that announced last week they will require its workforce to be vaccinated for COVID-19. "None of us want to lose our job...the reason I came out here, is because, well, I've been a nurse for 13 years, and I've never taken a vaccine," registered nurse Crystal Real said.The new policy will help health systems respond to a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the delta variant, health officials said. But on Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered outside in protest of the hospital's policy. "I think it's absolutely beautiful, I'm touched, I got chills just walking in here," Real said.The grouping was made up of a variety of people: Some who work at the hospital, and some that do not. Many in the group are speaking out, saying it's their right to choose if they want to be vaccinated or not. "It's not about the vaccine, there's plenty of people here who have had the vaccine and there's plenty of people who haven't, and the choice should be yours to make without being threatened with your job," registered nurse Darlene Miller said.All Greater Cincinnati Hospital systems decided to require the vaccine as the delta variant continues to spread, causing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to rise.

Hundreds of people have gathered outside of St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, protesting the requirement of COVID-19 vaccinations for employees throughout the Greater Cincinnati Health Systems.

St. Elizabeth's was one of 11 hospital systems in Kentucky that announced last week they will require its workforce to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

"None of us want to lose our job...the reason I came out here, is because, well, I've been a nurse for 13 years, and I've never taken a vaccine," registered nurse Crystal Real said.

The new policy will help health systems respond to a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the delta variant, health officials said.

But on Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered outside in protest of the hospital's policy.

"I think it's absolutely beautiful, I'm touched, I got chills just walking in here," Real said.

The grouping was made up of a variety of people: Some who work at the hospital, and some that do not. Many in the group are speaking out, saying it's their right to choose if they want to be vaccinated or not.

"It's not about the vaccine, there's plenty of people here who have had the vaccine and there's plenty of people who haven't, and the choice should be yours to make without being threatened with your job," registered nurse Darlene Miller said.

All Greater Cincinnati Hospital systems decided to require the vaccine as the delta variant continues to spread, causing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to rise.

See the rest here:

Hundreds gather outside of St. Elizabeth Edgewood, protesting required vaccinations - WLWT Cincinnati