Prof. Reiss Explains the COVID-19 Vaccine in New Videos

Can hospitals sell the COVID-19 vaccine for a profit? Can you sue if you get sick from the COVID vaccine? Can hospital workers be fired for refusing to vaccinate? As a leading vaccine law scholar, Prof. Dorit Reiss answers these questions and more in a series of three succinct videos produced by Talks on Law. This series and a separate video produced by Professor Reiss on vaccine mandates address the most pressing questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and related legal and ethical concerns.

Health worker in a blue surgical cap and mask, gazing at the camera. Focus on questioning vaccination refusal and employment termination. The first batch of COVID-19 vaccinations is already being administered to healthcare workers in hospitals and long-term care facilities. But what happens if employees refuse to be vaccinated? Can they be terminated for refusal? Prof. Reiss explains employers’ rights to mandate vaccination, the legal and ethical concerns surrounding such mandates, and the exceptions under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

This image illustrates a COVID-19 vaccine vial in the foreground with stacks of cash in the background, highlighting discussions on vaccine sales.

More than 5 million Americans had received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by early January 2021. But with hundreds of millions more still awaiting inoculation, demand is high and supply low as rollout lags in many regions. Are hospitals legally required to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in a particular priority order? Can healthcare facilities decide to sell the vaccines for a profit? Prof. Reiss discusses the legal and ethical requirements for distributing vaccines.

Alt text: Image of a syringe and a vial labeled "coronavirus vaccine COVID-19" against a blue background, relating to vaccine liability discussions.

Are pharmaceutical companies or businesses that mandate employee vaccinations liable if someone gets sick from adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine? What if a business does not mandate vaccines and a third party contracts the virus from its employees? What recourse is available? Prof. Reiss answers questions on liability and remedies.