How COVID-19 vaccine policies have triggered lawsuits and workplace showdowns

Showdowns between employers mandating the COVID-19 vaccine and dubious employees have escalated, resulting in lawsuits and terminations.

Tens of millions of Americans have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and with that, workplaces around the country are opening up once again. But the rules that some employers and others have put into place mandating vaccines that are still not fully authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, have sparked showdowns with employees. Lawsuits have been filed against a Texas hospital, a Los Angeles school district, a North Carolina sheriff and a New Mexico detention center, to name a few. And with a portion of the population hesitant to get vaccinated, including some who outright refuse, there may be more showdowns down the line. A May report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit that conducts research on key health policy issues, found nearly a third -- 32% -- of unvaccinated adults are waiting for full FDA approval of a vaccine before getting it.