New York Mandate Podcast, Ep. 2: Paramedic Carin Rosado

“The mandate came down that you’ll get [the vaccine] or you’ll lose your job. And that was a lot of anxiety. I would go back and forth with it. I would say, ‘I should just comply.’ This is a career that I worked so hard for. I really wanted this career, so I don’t want to lose it. And then I would go back to: But is it right for me? Is it right for my body? Do I give up the possibility of . . . maybe not being able to have kids—just because we just don’t know—to keep a career?” - Carin Rosado

In this episode of the New York Mandate podcast, I talk with Carin Rosado. She began working as an EMT for the Fire Department of the City of New York in 2012 and quickly moved up to working as a paramedic. In November 2021, she was put on unpaid leave because she decided not to comply with the New York City mandate requiring city workers to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Her employment with FDNY was terminated in February 2022.

Rosado talked with me about working through the height of the pandemic, catching COVID, and the far-reaching effects of her decision not to take a vaccine.

We also talked about the lawsuit in which she’s a lead plaintiff, the New York anti-mandate movement, and the options she’s considering for the future.

Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode:

Bravest for ChoiceAn organization supporting NYC firefighters, medics, and EMTs who have been terminated or put on leave because they have not complied with the city’s vaccine mandates.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Section 75 of New York State Civil Service LawThis section of New York State’s civil service law covers removal and other disciplinary actions.

New York State Mask-or-Vaccine MandateThis New York State mandate from 2021 required masks to be worn indoors, but gave venues and businesses the option of requiring proof of vaccination instead.

MTA COVID-Related Requirements for RidersInformation about current requirements on NYC’s public transit system.

Order of the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to Require COVID-19 Vaccination for City Employees and Certain City ContractorsThis is the order that former Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi issued on October 20, 2021 requiring New York City municipal employees and contractors to be vaccinated. This is the mandate that led to Carin Rosado’s employment being terminated.

Order of the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to Require COVID-19 Vaccination in the WorkplaceThis is the order that former Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi issued on December 13, 2021 requiring all workers in New York City who work in a workplace or interact with other workers or the public to be vaccinated.

NYC Vaccination Requirement: WorkplacesThis is where you can find current information on New York City’s workplace vaccination requirements.

About the New York Mandate Podcast

The New York Mandate Podcast is an ongoing series of conversations exploring the costs and consequences of vaccine mandates in New York City. I’ll be talking with workers who have been directly affected by the mandates, as well as legal and policy experts.

In late 2021, the city introduced a series of requirements for workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These requirements were put in place through executive orders issued by the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio.

Current mayor Eric Adams continues to support the mandates, and they now extend to most working people in the city of New York. Private sector employers are required to affirm that their employees have been vaccinated, and public sector employees of city agencies have been terminated or put on unpaid leave for failing to comply with the vaccine requirement.

The views expressed in the New York Mandate podcast are the personal opinions of the people speaking, and are not intended to provide medical or legal advice.

Join the Conversation

Have you lost your job, been put on leave, or lost opportunities to work as an independent contractor as a result of your decision not to comply with a New York vaccine mandate? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at [email protected].