A Texas news anchor recently lost his job because of his unvaccinated status.
Dan Thomas was an evening anchor at KXII, a CBS and Fox affiliate in Sherman, Texas since 2014, and he was recently fired from his position for not getting vaccinated against COVID-19 despite having a medical exemption.
Thomas was told by his doctor to not get the vaccine since he is allergic to two of the ingredients.
Gray Television, which owns KXII, has required all its employees to get vaccinated against COVID, according to Adweek. The company’s mandate has been in effect since October 1.
“Dan has an allergy to two of the ingredients in the shots and his doctor advised him not to take the vaccine,” Dan’s father, Dave said. “The owner of KXII, Gray Television, acknowledges that he has a basis for an accommodation but they fired him anyway, saying unvaccinated people in his position pose an undue hardship.”
They had since set up an online fundraiser to raise money to help his son pay his family expenses. He has raised over $3,000 worth of donations out of a total goal of $5,000.
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Apparently, Thomas has had COVID-19 before but has since recovered.
The Thomas family says that his termination from his job was a big problem for them. “As a result of his termination, Dan will lose all health benefits and salary. He has a wife and two young children, ages 10 and 2,” Thomas’ father said.
According to Adweek, Thomas is one of a growing number of journalists and employees who have lost their jobs at Gray Television-owned stations. The list includes KCWY anchor and host Cheryl Hackett, who also said she had an exemption that was denied by the company.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised people against taking the Moderna and Pfizer COVID vaccines in cases where they are allergic to any of the ingredients in the shots. The agency urged people to consult with their doctors on which type of vaccine they could receive.
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