Disney temporarily bans new hires from getting vaccinations

Disney on Friday announced a voluntary, temporary moratorium on all new employee vaccinations, following a Florida law going into effect in April that would end vaccinations for students in that state.

In a blog post, Disney wrote that if the law were to take effect, “Guests and employees would be required to undergo several months of vaccine and booster shots, and potentially gain permanent physical or occupational health limitations.”

A Disney spokesperson confirmed to CNN that while the policy is temporary, the company plans to resume routine health-care screening of incoming employees in May 2019.

New Florida law and Disney

The new state law, which was a top priority of former Gov. Rick Scott, would eliminate a decades-old requirement to get vaccinated for students in public schools.

It would eliminate requirements for students to receive any medical, dental or vaccine for disease, while eliminating the requirement for children to receive a vaccination for human papillomavirus, which causes most cases of cervical cancer.

Disney has begun informing employees of the new law, according to Florida Live, and parents who had private school educations through Disney have been notified, Disney spokesman George Kalogridis told CNN.

“Although we are committed to fully treating all of our employees with the respect and dignity they deserve, Florida’s new law is forcing us to fundamentally reconsider our approach. We have started to notify employees and we are in the process of informing parents of the new law,” Kalogridis said.

The law is one of a handful of bills approved in states this year that put greater restrictions on vaccinations, critics say.

In Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson last week signed a bill that requires patients to be vaccinated before receiving any government or health care service.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill in May that prevents parents from exempting their children from vaccinations based on their personal beliefs.

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