Texas hospital CEO "deeply disappointed" by Abbott's bid to ban vaccine mandates
CBSN
Texas Governor Greg Abbott's executive order banning vaccine mandates in the Lone Star state is not sitting well at Houston Methodist, the first hospital system in the country to require employees be immunized against COVID-19.
Houston Methodist — a medical center and six community hospitals — is "deeply disappointed in the governor's order," Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist said in an emailed statement to CBS MoneyWatch. Medical workers take an oath to "do no harm," and that includes "doing everything possible to prevent the spread of disease — something we know these vaccines are very good at doing," he added.
Houston Methodist mandated the vaccine before others, giving its 26,000-plus employees a June 21 deadline to be fully vaccinated against a virus that has killed more than 67,000 Texans. About 150 workers were fired or quit after a judge dismissed their legal challenge to the requirement, leaving those remaining 100% compliant with the system's vaccine policy.
