Over 25% Of Beverly Hills Firefighters Request Vaccine Exemptions

Beverly Hills CA

04 October, 2021

5:56 PM

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BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Over a quarter of the Beverly Hills Department's firefighters have requested an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, the Beverly Hills Courier reported. The Los Angeles Times reported in June that Los Angeles police officers and firefighters have a far lower vaccination rate than county residents age 16 and older. There were over 211 outbreaks of the coronavirus at police and fire agencies in the county between March 2020 and September 2021, according to the Los Angeles Times. Firefighters were mandated in August to get the vaccine as healthcare workers, with exemptions offered only for specific medical situations and religious beliefs. The Courier found that 25 of 97 BHFD firefighters had requested exemptions, 23 of which cited their religious beliefs as the reason for exemption. The City Attorney's Office conducted interviews to evaluate each request, but the Courier reported that firefighters might struggle to make a religious argument given they have already received other mandated vaccines for their employment. BHFD is not alone; over 2,600 of the 9,000 Los Angeles Police Department officers filed religious exemption requests, according to the Courier. Read the full coverage from the Beverly Hills Courier.