Nurse reacts to losing job over New York vaccine mandate: ‘I’d prefer not to be an experiment’

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Nurse reacts to losing job over vaccine mandate: ‘I’d prefer not to be an experiment’

Former NICU nurse Jenna Viani-Pascale discusses being fired from her job in New York over the state's vaccine mandate

A former NICU nurse in New York spoke out Monday after being fired over the state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which has since caused 34,000 health care workers to lose their jobs. 

"There was a threat that we were going to be let go, but we were hailed heroes last year, we fought through the whole pandemic and then all of a sudden now we’re kind of thrown out like trash," Jenna Viani-Pascale told "Fox & Friends."

NYC VACCINE MANDATE: THOUSANDS OF POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, CITY WORKERS TO GO ON UNPAID LEAVE

Last November, Viani-Pascale suffered a stroke, thus arguing she had legitimate medical concerns about taking the vaccine. Back in April, the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine was briefly pulled from the market after rare cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), a type of blood clot, began to occur predominantly among women ages 18-48. A blood clot can lead to a stroke. 

People arrive at the City Hall in protest of COVID-19 vaccine mandate in New York City, New York, U.S., October 25, 2021. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)

This factor, in conjunction with the lack of long-term data about the impact of mRNA vaccines, led Viani-Pascale to refuse the vaccine at her place of work. 

Viani-Pascale, who previously worked at Vassar Brother Medical Center, said she was told by the hospital that her unwillingness to take the vaccine put pressure on their medical licenses and was too great a risk. 

A woman holds a sign as people and teachers protest against NewYork City mandated vaccines against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in front of the United States Court in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., October 12, 2021 (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

"I personally just feel very strongly about fighting for our rights here because you know something that has a lot of risks like this vaccine should have a choice and when we don’t have that choice, when it’s taken away from us, we’re on a slippery slope here in America," said Viani-Pascale. 

She did not specify what risk the vaccine posed, but referenced Sen. Ron Johnson’s November 2 expert panel on federal vaccine mandates, which included researchers, doctors, as well as individuals who claimed they experienced injuries following vaccination.

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"I’d prefer not to be an experiment," Viani-Pascale said. "I think that it’s a fair choice to be able to say you want to wait for long-term data. I’ve had previous vaccinations. I don’t understand why we can’t have that right as Americans — and that’s where I’m standing."