Group protests UCHealth COVID-19 vaccine mandate

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A group opposed to mandatory COVID-19 vaccines protested outside of UCHealth Memorial Hospital North.

About a dozen people gathered for two hours Thursday to push for medical freedom and end vaccine mandates. Among them was a health care worker with UCHealth in Denver.

Stephanie Thorpe strongly opposes the new UCHealth vaccine mandate.

On July 28, UCHealth released a statement requiring all employees, providers, volunteers, and partners to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by October 1 or face the possibility of termination.

Thorpe claims the requirement is a slap in the face to her and other health care workers after all their work during the pandemic. She told KRDO she will quit her job if it comes to it.

"We don't mandate people take insulin when they have diabetes. We let them walk through the door and we let them make their own choices," said Thorpe. "And I feel like as health care workers, we should be able to do the same."

She and other health care workers hope to get a religious or medical exemption, and they are exploring other options if that doesn't work.

A UCHealth spokesperson told KRDO that 89.6% of their 26,000 workers are currently vaccinated, and a committee is currently reviewing exemption requests.

In addition to the COVID vaccine, the CDC recommends health care workers become vaccinated against Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, Chickenpox, the flu, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Meningococcal.