state Police sergeant in intensive Care at hospital
A State Police sergeant is in the ICU and fellow officers say they are more fearful than ever over Gov. Charlie Baker’s Oct. 17 mandate to be vaccinated or face being fired — but it’s not clear what landed the trooper in the hospital.
The officer is a 19-year veteran of the force who is married with two children, multiple sources say. Brigham and Women’s Hospital confirmed a patient with his name is in intensive care, but no further details were divulged. Efforts to reach family members were unsuccessful.
“Several state troopers are concerned,” said attorney William Gens, whose Boston law firm was hired to represent a group of fedup state police. “This is a highly concerning incident.”
The Herald has not been able to confirm how the sergeant landed in the ICU. State police spokesman Dave Procopio would also not comment “generally” on “any person’s medical or health conditions.”
Gens said the vaccine mandate has left the troopers with no choice but to be a “lab rat” and take the Johnson & Johnson singledose vaccine.
A trooper said the sick sergeant is “a gentleman. A good man. Everyone is hoping for the best for him. This should never have happened.”
Other sources have conflicting accounts of what may have caused the sergeant to land in the ICU, but he reportedly received the J&J shot Friday. It is not clear if he came down with the coronavirus or not. The CDC states someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the shot.
The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union is also taking note of the officer’s illness.
Baker is deploying 250 National Guard members to offset likely staffing short
ages at prisons from vaccine compliance layoffs there — as the Herald first reported Friday night.
Baker’s spokesman Terry MacCormack has said the mandate sticks.
“The Baker-Polito Administration is encouraged by the response to date by Executive Department employees completing the vaccination verification process ahead of the October 17 deadline and will continue to work with employees to address questions and requests for exemptions,” he said in a statement.
MacCormack added: “The Administration is still in the process of gathering information from employees, but agencies are seeing significant progress toward the vaccination goal.”
Baker instituted a vaccine mandate for all Executive Branch employees Aug. 19 with a deadline of Oct. 17 to be fully vaccinated. The order only granted exemptions for those who have medical or religious grounds to reject the vaccine.
Here’s the mandate:
•For managers, a five-day suspension without pay. “Continued non-compliance” will get you fired.
•For union members, also a five-day suspension first with a 10-day unpaid leave to follow and then dismissal.