Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
United Airlines To Put Vaccine-Exempt Workers On Leave Of Absence
The Washington Post: United Airlines Workers With Covid Vaccine Exemptions Must Take Temporary Leaves
United Airlines employees who receive religious or medical exemptions from the company’s coronavirus vaccine requirement will be required to take temporary leaves of absence starting next month, company officials said Wednesday. “Given the dire statistics … we can no longer allow unvaccinated people back into the workplace until we better understand how they might interact with our customers and their vaccinated co-workers,” Kirk Limacher, United’s vice president of human resources, wrote in a memo to employees. (Aratani, 9/8)
Axios: COVID: Qantas To Ban Unvaccinated Travelers From International Flights
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce confirmed the Australian airline will ban passengers not vaccinated against COVID-19 from international flights, traveller.com.au first reported Wednesday. Joyce indicated in November he planned for Qantas to require international travelers provide proof of vaccination. He aims to have the mandate in place by December, when the airline plans to resume global operations. All Qantas staff must be vaccinated by March 2022 unless they have a medical exemption. (9/9)
In other news about vaccine mandates —
The Oregonian: Portland Can’t Make Cops Get COVID-19 Vaccine Despite City Mandate, Mayor Says
Mayor Ted Wheeler said Wednesday that state law prohibits Portland from making police officers get vaccinated against COVID-19 despite a new city mandate that requires municipal workers do so if they wish to keep their jobs. “I am disappointed that we can’t hold all of our city employees to the same vaccine requirement,” Wheeler told The Oregonian/OregonLive in an emailed statement. “I still am strongly encouraging police officers to get vaccinated.” (Kavanaugh, 9/8)
Los Angeles Times: New Vaccine Mandates Falter In California Legislature
A drumbeat of chants criticizing vaccine and mask mandates carried into the unusually sparse hallways on Wednesday at the state Capitol, where lawmakers were wrapping up the final week of their legislative session without the bills that hundreds came to Sacramento to protest. A late push by Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell) to create a new workplace vaccine requirement failed to come together before a legislative deadline Tuesday evening. Another proposal by Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), which fell apart last week, would have created sweeping new vaccine mandates in the workplace and to enter businesses. (Gutierrez, 9/8)
AP: Hawaii Creates Optional Digital Vaccination Record Program
The state of Hawaii this week plans to launch a program that will allow people to use their smartphones to prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The Hawaii Smart Health Card comes shortly before Honolulu and Maui begin instituting vaccine requirements for patrons of restaurants and other businesses. (McAvoy, 9/9)
The Washington Post: GOP West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice Is Done With All That Nonsense On Vaccines
If the coronavirus could be cured by a mixture of folksiness and exasperation, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) would be in line for a Nobel Prize. Many of Justice’s GOP colleagues have trodden gently around promoting the vaccines. Some have raised speculative and baseless allegations that the vaccines might be unsafe. Former president Donald Trump promoted them, but only after months of conspicuously declining to do so and not disclosing his own vaccination. Even many who have encouraged vaccination have focused more on their opposition to mandates. They have also made a point to frequently either attach qualifiers that it’s a choice or to suggest that it doesn’t really matter to the vaccinated. And they’ve occasionally suggested that they can’t do much about the vaccine misinformation from allies in their midst. (Blake, 9/8)
KHN: ‘Religious’ Exemptions Add Legal Thorns To Looming Vaccine Mandates
In Northern California, the pastor of a megachurch hands out religious exemption forms to the faithful. A New Mexico state senator will “help you articulate a religious exemption” by pointing to the decades-old use of aborted fetal cells in the development of some vaccines. And a Texas-based evangelist offers exemption letters to anyone — for a suggested “donation” starting at $25. With workplace vaccine mandates in the offing, opponents are turning to a tried-and-true recourse for avoiding a covid-19 shot: the claim that vaccination interferes with religious beliefs. (Kreidler, 9/9)
NBC News: Patton Oswalt Cancels Shows In Florida, Utah After Venues Fail To Comply With His Covid Requests
Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt canceled his upcoming tour dates in Florida and Salt Lake City because the venues would not comply with his request that attendees either show proof of full vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test. Oswalt told fans in an Instagram video that he made the requests to protect people coming to his "Patton Oswalt Live: Who's Ready To Laugh?" tour. (Burke, 9/8)
