A dozen staff at the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services in the Northern Marianas are in jeopardy of losing their jobs for not taking a Covid-19 vaccine.
Photo: DFEM
Their refusal to get vaccinated appears to be contrary to an Executive Order issued by Govenor Ralph Torres mandating all personnel under the executive branch to take the vaccine.
Torres said fire and emergency personnel were first responders in the fight against the pandemic and it was only right that they be vaccinated to safeguard the community.
Originally the 12 fire and emergency medical staff numbered 23, but in recent days 11 were persuaded to change their minds and agreed to take the vaccine.
The group that refused to be vaccinated cited unknown medical risks from taking it as well as arguing that they should be given a choice in the matter without putting their jobs at risk.
Fire and Emergency Medical Services Commissioner, Dennis Mendiola, said the governor's directive mandating vaccinations for government employees was reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General.
Mendiola said it was intended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus by mitigating the risk of contracting and transmitting Covid-19.
He added that the vaccine was like any other protective equipment that protected first responders from harm's way. He reiterated what Torres earlier said that the vaccines were now available and were the solution to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
