Texas House approves ban on COVID Vacc's by Priv. Employers

[Michelle]

news.yahoo.com/texas-house-approves-ban-covid-202514990.html

This is bullshit. It is completely inconsistent with the Texas Legislature on flu vaccinations, where not only is it permitted to mandate the flu vaccine, but it is required to have a policy on flu vaccination for the protection of patients (the policy doesn't have to mandate vaccination, but it has to define how hospitals will protect patients from getting the flu when hospitalized).

“This bill is not about infringing on employers’ ability to protect their employees in the workplace. And this bill is not about what vaccines are good or bad, or what vaccines someone should or should not take,” said state Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, the bill’s House sponsor. “This bill is instead about who should decide.”



After debating the bill on Wednesday, the Texas House gave final approval to Senate Bill 7 on a 91-54 vote in the early hours of Thursday morning, with all Republicans in favor and most Democrats opposed, after a passionate debate on the merits and safety of the vaccine, the impact of employer mandates on Texas workers, the rights of private business owners vs. private individuals, whether to allow stronger exceptions for hospitals and doctors, and the bill’s impact on medically vulnerable populations.



The Texas Senate passed the legislation, authored by state Rep. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, last week, and the bill will go to a conference committee to work out changes made by the House. Abbott included the ban in his agenda for the special legislative session, which could last up to two more weeks.



SB 7 would ban private businesses from requiring employees and contractors to get the COVID vaccine.



Health care facilities would be allowed to require unvaccinated employees and contractors to wear protective gear, such as masks, or enact other “reasonable” measures to protect medically vulnerable patients.

ETA - in case you happen to know where I work, I am speaking now, and always when on this board, on my own behalf, not on behalf of my employer.

[formerlyak]

So in this case, people should get to decide for themselves, but in the case of women's healthcare, not so much. Got it.

[Michelle]

Oct 26, 2023 12:42:54 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

So in this case, people should get to decide for themselves, but in the case of women's healthcare, not so much. Got it.

For real!

And if people aren't required, those who don't have a real religious or physical reason but are just needle averse will refuse to get it, which seems like it could lower the overall herd immunity that we have internally, so we are going to need to require the nonvaccinated to not only mask at all times, but probably N95 mask. I might be catastrophizing... haven't heard from infection control yet. But talk about unnecessarily driving up the cost of supplies and such.

I really need to move out of this state.

[beetea]

Oct 26, 2023 12:57:32 GMT -5 Michelle said:

I really need to move out of this state.

+1

[sonrisa]

Oct 26, 2023 11:49:00 GMT -5 Michelle said:

news.yahoo.com/texas-house-approves-ban-covid-202514990.html

This is bullshit. It is completely inconsistent with the Texas Legislature on flu vaccinations, where not only is it permitted to mandate the flu vaccine, but it is required to have a policy on flu vaccination for the protection of patients (the policy doesn't have to mandate vaccination, but it has to define how hospitals will protect patients from getting the flu when hospitalized).

If they notice, I fear the next step would be to change flu policies, not COVID ones. 

[Michelle]

Oct 26, 2023 18:10:12 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Oct 26, 2023 11:49:00 GMT -5 Michelle said:

news.yahoo.com/texas-house-approves-ban-covid-202514990.html

This is bullshit. It is completely inconsistent with the Texas Legislature on flu vaccinations, where not only is it permitted to mandate the flu vaccine, but it is required to have a policy on flu vaccination for the protection of patients (the policy doesn't have to mandate vaccination, but it has to define how hospitals will protect patients from getting the flu when hospitalized).

If they notice, I fear the next step would be to change flu policies, not COVID ones. 

I know... i imagine our government affairs office tried to tread lightly because of that...