A New York City waitress said she was fired from a popular restaurant in Brooklyn after deciding not to get the COVID-19 vaccine for fear that it could harm her chances of becoming pregnant.
Bonnie Jacobson, 34, told The Post that Red Hook Tavern management fired her on Monday because she refused to receive the injection immediately.
“It was shocking for me,” she said on Wednesday. “I went through the stages: I am hurt, I am in shock – then I was furious.”
Jacobson, who has been married since October 2019, stressed that she is not an antivaxxer and “fully supports” the people being inoculated, but said she wants to wait for more research into the possible effects of the coronavirus vaccine on fertility.
“In my opinion, getting the vaccine is for me. It protects me. If I don’t understand, it’s my choice, and I’d just be hurting myself, ”she said.
The available coronavirus vaccines have not been tested on pregnant women, but they have also not been shown to affect pregnancy and are seen as generally safe.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that getting vaccinated is “a personal choice for people who are pregnant” and that pregnant women can talk to their doctors about whether it is right for them.
New York restaurant workers joined the list of people eligible for the photo earlier this month.
Not long after, management at the bustling Brooklyn restaurant sent employees an email to let them know they were eligible, and later said the vaccine would be “mandatory” for all employees.
The only exception to the policy would be, “If your own health or disability prohibits you from getting this vaccination,” said Friday’s email, reviewed by The Post.
Jacobson – who started working at the restaurant in August after being released from the female co-working space The Wing at the start of the pandemic – replied that she was “choosing not to get the vaccine because there is simply not enough data or research at this point in its effects on fertility. “
“As soon as there is more research to support that it does not affect fertility, I would reconsider my position,” she wrote.
But on Monday, after working a 13-hour shift on Sunday for Valentine’s Day, Jacobson knew he was being kicked because of his choice.
The tavern management wrote to her saying that although they respected her choice, it was necessary to obtain the injection and that “at this point, your job will be terminated”.
“We are sad to see you go,” said the email. “If you change your mind, please don’t hesitate to let us know.”
Jacobson said she was surprised.
She noted that she worked hard to go to the restaurant during the pandemic and learned to adapt to coronavirus restrictions, such as working outdoors “in the freezing cold”.
“I’ve been hanging out with them,” she said. “I expected to find the same flexibility and compassion.”
Although the US Equal Employment Opportunities Commission said in December that companies could require workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, labor lawyers said they had not heard of a case like Jacobson’s before, of according to WNBC, which first reported her resignation.
“This particular issue is a very hot issue now,” said lawyer Felicia Ennis to the station, adding: “I’ve never heard of a company that took that extreme step.”
The restaurant said on Wednesday that it is still demanding that employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, but said it would change its policy for employees who request exemption.
“Since New York State allowed restaurant workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to put a plan in place to keep our staff and guests safe,” said owner Billy Durney in an announcement.
“Nobody has faced these challenges before and we made a decision that we think would best protect everyone,” he said. “Now we realize that we need to update our policy so that it is clear to our team how the process works and what we can do to support them. We are making these changes immediately. ”
Jacobson told The Post that she doesn’t plan to take legal action and doesn’t want her job back.
“It’s a good restaurant, the food is excellent, the money is great [but] I think I want to take a minute for myself, ”she said.
She and her husband, who were married in October 2019 and have been together for nine years, are “family planning” and she wants to focus on that, said Jacobson.
Jacobson expressed some hesitation about her choice not to be vaccinated immediately and said she would get the vaccine in the future, “as soon as more data is available”.
“I think I may need to be better informed,” she said.