Health care workers sue over COVID-19 vaccine mandate

Fifty-one health care workers in Detroit filed a lawsuit Monday against their hospital employer over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The latest in the string of similar suits, the complaint against Henry Ford Health System and its leadership claims the hospital’s requirement that employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 10 "is both unconstitutional and has caused money damages to plaintiffs.”

The suit states that those who are not compliant will be suspended and given until Oct. 1 to “remediate their non-compliance,” according to the suit.

The complaint states that the hospital system’s “policy document contains a stated goal of protecting the health of their employees and others, but actually subjects its employees to injury” based on reported injuries and deaths in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which the suit claims is a database that fails to show actual injuries and deaths.

“Defendants’ actions to implement compulsory COVID-19 vaccine shots as a condition of continuing employment is both unconstitutional and has caused money damages to Plaintiffs. Additionally, the actions of Defendants subjects Plaintiffs to a significant likelihood of bodily harm,” the complaint states.

The hospital system released a statement Wednesday saying it remains “confident that vaccination is the most powerful tool we all have against the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond that, we cannot comment on pending litigation.”