Dozens protest outside Houston Methodist Hospital over mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy

Houston - While millions of Americans have now received a COVID-19 vaccine, millions of others are also choosing not to get vaccinated.

On Saturday, nearly a hundred people protested outside Houston Methodist Hospital against their mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy.

"We don’t agree with being forced to take a mandatory vaccine, or we get fired from our job," said Jennifer Bridges, a registered nurse.

As we’ve previously reported, Houston Methodist is requiring their staff members to get vaccinated for COVID-19 by June 7th.  If not, they’ll lose their job.

"Everybody should have a choice of what they inject in their own body," said Bridges.  "This is under emergency use, it’s not even FDA approved."

Bridges says she won’t be getting the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine.  In addition, Bridges believes there are more than a thousand other Houston Methodist staff members who also won’t get the shot.

"The rest of my life is more important to me, than staying on with Methodist," said Bridges.  "I’ll get another job.  I’ll go back to bartending.  I don’t care what I do, but I’m not risking anything over some experimental vaccine."

While some are choosing to not get the vaccine, others try and motivate more people to be vaccinated.

On Saturday, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee held a free COVID-19 vaccine event at Cullen Middle School.

"Go out to vaccinate, because that’s what we need to do," said Jackson Lee. "We want to vaccinate children. Young people, so they can do summer school and go back to school in September.  We can open it up."

So far, 52 percent of people 12 years of age and older in Harris County have gotten at least 1 Coronavirus vaccine shot.

"We will not open this country, unless we break through the vaccine hesitancy," said Jackson Lee.

Bridges says she, and other nurses, plan to file a lawsuit against Houston Methodist if they don’t reverse their mandatory vaccine policy.

"We have to fight for our freedom," said Bridges.  "We have every right to our decisions, just like everyone else does.  If we’re not comfortable with this, don’t make us take it.  Just work with us."