Massachusetts State Police officer taken to the ICU after receiving Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine

 A Massachusetts State Police sergeant ended up in the intensive care unit (ICU) after getting Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. Reports say the 19-year police veteran received the J&J vaccine on Oct. 15.

Following the incident, his fellow officers expressed concerns about Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s Oct. 17 vaccine mandate for state employees, which requires officers like them to get vaccinated or risk losing their jobs.

According to Attorney William Gens, whose Boston law firm was hired to represent a group of state police, many state troopers are concerned because of the “highly disturbing incident.” He also said that Baker’s vaccine mandate has forced the state troopers to take the Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine for fear of losing their jobs.

A trooper shared that the sick sergeant is “a gentleman” and a good man. His fellow officers wish for his safe recovery, with some lamenting that this “should never have happened.”  

Multiple sources say the 19-year veteran is married with two children. Brigham and Women’s Hospital has confirmed a patient with his name is in intensive care, but details remain scarce and efforts to reach family members have been unsuccessful.

Dave Procopio, spokesman of the Massachusetts State Police, refused to comment when asked how the sergeant ended up in the ICU.

Governor Baker: Get vaccinated or risk losing your jobs

On Aug. 19, Baker announced that tens of thousands of state government workers who continue to say no to the COVID-19 vaccine could lose their jobs.

The governor ordered all executive branch employees to provide proof that they have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Oct. 17. Otherwise, unvaccinated workers face “disciplinary action, up to and including termination.”

According to Baker’s office, the new mandate covers an estimated 42,000 employees from the governor’s office to departments of public safety, education, transportation and others. The draconian mandate also covers at least 2,000 additional contracted employees under the state’s executive departments.

Baker’s office also said that employees will also need to get coronavirus vaccine boosters in the future after federal officials release guidance for the additional shots. The policy applies to both employees working in-person and those who are working from home even though there are plans to shift almost 50 percent of the state’s workers into remote work.

The mandate includes exemptions for workers who are unable to get vaccinated because of medical conditions or have a sincerely held religious belief against the coronavirus vaccine. Baker’s administration will provide further guidance if there are workers who want to get exempted from vaccinations.

However, all executive branch workers must provide proof that they have received either two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines or one dose of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine by Oct. 17. According to officials, all documents related to vaccinations will be maintained confidentially.

Back in May, Baker announced that he was firmly against a vaccine mandate, even saying that the state’s strategy should focus on making appointments convenient and “creating positive incentives” to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Baker’s about-face could cause more incidences of vaccine injuries like what happened to the Massachusetts State Police sergeant who got vaccinated simply because he didn’t want to lose his job.