SOUTHWEST, FLA — What's one thing Disney, Facebook, and Google all have in common?
Well, all three major employers have some form of COVID-19 vaccination requirement for employees.
And following an announcement out of Naples Friday, the Naples Community Hospital (NCH) has joined that group. It has given employees a deadline of September 16, 2021 to get their shots.
"There is court precedent from the u.S. Supreme court that says vaccines can be mandated," said Lawyer and FGCU professor, Pamella Seay.
Seay sat down with FOX 4 and answered the question so many have on this topic.
"We already look at smallpox and requirements of vaccinations we look at the schools and requirements for children to have certain vaccinations," she said.
But she also says there will have to be room for certain exemptions as more employers start to put these mandates in place.
"There may be reasons why you cannot get a vaccine. You might be allergic to it, there may be some physical limits for you or you have an immunodeficiency that doesn't permit you to get something like this," Seay said.
However, she says that religious exemptions may be a little trickier.
"If your faith says it doesn't believe in it then you might have a valid claim. If your faith does not say that specifically your claim may not be supported in a court," she said.
That said, Seay adds that though she's vaccinated, she also understands some people's hesitations surrounding it and supports their desire for more information about it.
"I have seen this come up where the challenge is to the CDC to 'Prove your claims. Do you have data saying that is essential for everybody to get the vaccine, is it absolutely necessary?'" she said.
