Miami private school says it won't employ anyone receiving COVID-19 vaccine, citing false vaccination claims
Jordan Mendoza
USA TODAY
A private elementary school in Miami has asked its employees to not get a COVID-19 vaccine and will not employ anyone who has gotten the vaccine, citing misinformation about the risks of vaccination.
Leila Centner, co-founder of the Centner Academy in the city's Design District, said in a letter to parents the decision was not easy to make but that it's unclear on the impact the "experimental drug" has on unvaccinated people.
"It is in the best interests of the children to protect them from the unknown implications of being in close proximity for the entire day with a teacher who has very recently taken the COVID-19 injection," Centner said. "It is our policy, to the extent possible, not to employ anyone who has taken the experimental COVID-19 injection until further information is known."
Another letter sent to parents last week stated employees would be required to fill out a form revealing whether they had received a vaccine or planned to do so. It also required employees to “acknowledge the School will take legal measures needed to protect the students if it is determined that I have not answered these questions accurately," according to the New York Times.
Centner suggested vaccinated individuals can pass along symptoms to those unvaccinated, a claim that has been debunked by doctors and medical experts.
Additionally, in her letter Centner claimed women across the world have reported reproductive issues from being near vaccinated individuals, resulting in miscarriages and complete loss of menstruation. The statement disregarded recent studies that proved COVID-19 vaccines were safe and effective for pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding.