The management of Medical Unit 118 of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA) in the town of Polyarnye Zori, Murmansk Oblast, threatened to suspend those who had not received the COVID-19 vaccination from work. The order of the institution’s head states that such health workers will not be able to work from June 18 and will not get paid until they get vaccinated. Oksana Strelkova-Chistyakova, the head of the local branch of the Deystvie (‘Action’) Trade Union of Medical Workers, reported this to 7x7.
Acting head of the medical unit Ivan Alexandrov's order (7x7 has its copy) demands suspending employees who have not received the coronavirus vaccination without pay from June 18. The rule applies to those who work "in conditions of increased risk of infection" and provide help to those who have the infection.
The head of the medical unit demanded suspending unvaccinated health workers from work and depriving them of wages until they got vaccinated. The acting head of the medical unit explained the corresponding order "by the increased high burden of COVID-19".
At the same time, as recently as on June 21, Andrey Chibis, the Governor of Murmansk Oblast, promised to introduce mandatory vaccination for certain categories of workers due to the increase in the incidence of coronavirus in the region. Trade workers, transport workers, employees of social and cultural facilities, public officials, educators, food service workers will be the first.
Chibis advised these categories to get vaccinated yet today and "not to wait for another resolution".
Alexandrov refused to comment on his decision to 7x7, saying that a "certain employee of the institution" was responsible for communications with mass media. He promised that the latter would contact the correspondent.
Oksana Strelkova-Chistyakova, the head of the local branch of the Deystvie Trade Union of Medical Workers, told 7x7 that she was against the coronavirus vaccination for several reasons. She believes that the vaccine has not passed all the clinical trials and fears that it can negatively affect those who have had coronavirus or other diseases.
"The infection is sometimes asymptomatic, so tests including a PCR infection test for this period of time, as well as tests for the presence of antibodies, are not run before vaccination. This raises concern, because everyone says that those who have been ill with COVID-19 (in case they have a confirmed analysis) are given a medical exemption [full or partial temporary refusal of vaccination] from vaccination for six months," Strelkova-Chistyakova said.
According to the head of the trade union’s Murmansk branch, if the authorities want to impose mandatory vaccination, they should at least include it in the National Calendar of Prophylactic Immunization.
