About 300 people opposed to Maine’s new COVID-19 Vaccine mandate for health care workers protested Saturday outside Maine Medical Center in Portland.

According to the Portland Press Herald, many who showed up were health care workers who are asking for the freedom to make their own personal choice in medical decisions.

Emily Nixon, a home care nurse for MaineHealth, organized the protest and told the crowd “We support the right to vaccinate.  We support the right to choose.”  She started the group “Mainers for Freedom” last week before Gov. Janet Mills announcement that all health care workers would be required to receive a COVID-19 Vaccine.  Currently 80 percent of hospital workers are already vaccinated as are 73 percent of nursing home staff, according to state data.

Nixon also told the crowd she fears the worker shortage will get worse once the mandate goes into effect in October and many workers choose to quit rather than take the shot.  Previous to Governor Mill’s announcement, two of Maine’s largest healthcare organizations, MaineHealth and Northern Light, announced they will be requiring their staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19.