HONOLULU — A Honolulu police officer decided to get vaccinated against COVID-19 instead of losing his job.
Cpl. Mark Kutsy told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser he got the single-dose Johnson &Johnson vaccine last week and returned to duty on Tuesday.
“It was a very big, difficult decision,” he said. “Of course I had a lot to lose, and that’s why I was taking it day by day, to weigh out my options and not make a hasty decision.”
He said he still doesn’t agree with getting vaccinated, but chose the “lesser of two evils” to “save my career.”
He said he didn’t want to get vaccinated because he rarely gets sick.
After getting the shot, he said he had a fever, sweats and chills for two days. His wife didn’t experience any side effects after she got vaccinated.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a COVID-19 vaccination will help protect against getting COVID-19. It says side effects are possible but should go away in a few days.
The city’s vaccination policy does not allow weekly testing for workers who decline to be vaccinated.
About 78% of police officers, 86% of firefighters and 71% percent of lifeguards and paramedics are vaccinated, according to the city.