Some UCHealth workers protest against being forced to get COVID shots – CBS Denver

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – On Monday morning, nurses and healthcare workers lined up on the sidewalk outside UCHealth University of Colorado hospital to protest against being forced to get COVID-19 shots or losing their jobs . UCHealth is fair one of the hospitals requiring the injections.

“I think that’s why we live in the United States and that we have the capacity to do it, and I think people should be able to voice their opinions,” said Dr. Michelle Barron.

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(credit: CBS)

Barron is the Senior Medical Director of Infections and Prevention for UCHealth. She expressed compassion for those who wanted to express their opinions outside of the hospital, but also felt it was an opportunity to educate.

“The vaccine is just an extra extra precaution, but I have natural antibodies so I’m not going to hurt you,” protester J’nai Zugates said.

Zugates told CBS4 she had had COVID-19 and still had antibodies to prevent her from contracting COVID-19 again. She explained that she has fully complied with virtually every other protocol, but wants the right to choose when it comes to the vaccine.

Barron points out that it’s not enough to wear masks and wash your hands, the vaccine is crucial in eradicating the virus.

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“We have very good data on people who have been vaccinated, have not been vaccinated and have looked at whether the vaccination rates in these groups are the same. It’s not. If you just had natural immunity, your risk of getting infected is twice as high as if you were vaccinated, ”she said.

(credit: CBS)

For some, data is an issue, while trust is another issue.

“Well the numbers are controlled by the CDC, so everything you read is controlled by the government and the CDC,” another protester said.

“So the CDC is not the only source of this information, this safety data that has been collected from the vaccine around the world, it’s hard in my mind to imagine that we would have so much cooperation in the world to get the same message, “Dr. Barron explained.

On October 1, all UC Health staff will be scheduled for two injections. Exemptions will be granted for religious or medical reasons.

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UCHealth released, 90% of its workers have already been vaccinated.