Article from Rare by Zuri Davis.

At least one Minnesota medical company went to serious lengths to reiterate its commitment to health.

Essentia Health, a Duluth-based health system, passed a new policy that required employees get an influenza vaccine, also known as the flu shot, by a certain deadline. Employees could opt out if they qualified for a religious or medical exemption, though it was made clear that exemptions would be granted on a “very limited” basis. The health group, which has 15 hospitals and 75 clinics in Minnesota, Idaho, North Dakota and Wisconsin, reasoned that the policy would help protect vulnerable patients from infection.

Scot Harvey, a registered nurse, was fired from his job as an administrator for his refusal. He said he suffered fatigue from and other symptoms from the vaccinations he received as a soldier preparing to go overseas to serve in the first Gulf War. He applied for a medical exemption, but it was denied.

“If nobody stands up and says, ‘Hey, this isn’t right,’ then next year everybody in health care is going to have to have a flu shot, and then everybody in every job is going to have to have a flu shot,” he said, criticizing the lack of choice. He said his stance might make it difficult for him to find jobs in the future.

Read the entire article at Rare.