SCHAPER: And it should be noted that pilots are already required to get other vaccines, especially those who fly internationally. SCHAPER: And Fauci says the short and long-term effects of getting sick with COVID-19 are much more career threatening.įAUCI: Getting COVID is far, far worse than getting vaccinated for absolutely certain. Anthony Fauci.įAUCI: I'm sure there is a very, very, very, very rare exception, but the long-term effects are really essentially nonexistent.
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SCHAPER: White House Chief COVID-19 medical adviser Dr. SCHAPER: But numerous medical experts say such concerns are completely unfounded.ĪNTHONY FAUCI: Right now, on the basis of literally hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of vaccinations that we've had, the safety of these vaccines have been clearly established
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TAJER: Because once you lose your FAA medical, you're not flying. Tager says some pilots are concerned there could also be long-term side effects that could cause them to fail their physicals and lose their medical certification. SCHAPER: The pilots' unions at both American and Southwest note that the FAA prohibits pilots from flying for 48 hours after getting a COVID vaccine shot because of potential short-term side effects, including fever, aches and other flu-like symptoms. TAJER: Some of our pilots - we have about 4,000 - are holding off on it because many are concerned about long-term effects of the vaccine. SCHAPER: Tager is a spokesman for American's pilots union, and he's one of about 10,000 American Airlines pilots who are fully vaccinated. NPR's David Schaper reports.ĭAVID SCHAPER, BYLINE: In order to fly a commercial jetliner, pilots like American Airlines' Dennis Tajer must repeatedly meet strict physical fitness standardsĭENNIS TAJER: About every six months for a captain like myself, we have to go through a physical and, of course, report any issues if we have had any since our last physical. Meanwhile, pilots at Southwest and American Airlines have also gone to court to try to block their employers' vaccine mandates, citing - among other concerns - that the vaccine's side effects could make them medically unable to fly. United Airlines had planned to place about 2,000 employees on unpaid leave for seeking an exemption from its vaccine mandate, but a federal judge in Texas is temporarily putting that plan on hold.