Two actors leave the soap opera ‘General Hospital’ over its vaccine mandate.

[Camacho]

Two actors leave the soap opera ‘General Hospital’ over its vaccine mandate.

By Mike Ives

Nov. 24, 2021, 5:05 a.m. ET

Ingo Rademacher, left, and Steve Burton at the 46th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 2019. Both left “General Hospital” rather than comply with its vaccine mandate. Credit...Chris Pizzello/Invision, via Associated Press

Two actors have left one of America’s most popular soap operas after declining to comply with an on-set vaccination mandate.

The actors, Steve Burton and Ingo Rademacher, were fixtures of ABC’s “General Hospital,” a long-running daytime drama set in the fictional town of Port Charles, N.Y.

About one in five American adults has not received a single dose of a coronavirus vaccine. 

Mr. Burton and Mr. Rademacher were outspoken opponents of a coronavirus vaccine mandate that applied to a part of the set where actors work unmasked, known in the industry as Zone A. The mandate took effect on Nov. 1.

“Unfortunately, ‘General Hospital’ has let me go because of the vaccine mandate,” Mr. Burton, who tested positive for the virus in August and filmed his last episode on Oct. 27, said in an Instagram video on Tuesday.

“I did apply for my medical and religious exemptions and both of those were denied — which, you know, hurts,” he added. “But this is also about personal freedom to me. I don’t think anyone should lose their livelihood over this.”

Mr. Rademacher’s departure from the show was made public earlier this month. He had also refused to comply with the show’s vaccine mandate. “I will stand with you to fight for medical freedom,” he wrote in an Instagram post.

Mr. Rademacher has also been criticized on social media in recent weeks for making comments that his critics perceived to be transphobic, a suggestion he has forcefully denied.

Representatives for ABC declined to comment on the record. Publicists for the actors could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.

Other Hollywood productions have imposed similar on-set mandates, but there is no universal vaccination requirement for people who work in film and television.

“General Hospital” has been on the air since 1963. Its episodes are filmed weeks before they air.

Mr. Rademacher played the character Jasper “Jax” Jacks on the show for 25 years. In his last episode, which aired on Monday, the character said — spoiler alert — that he would be returning to Australia.

“I’m kind of on the outs with everyone in Port Charles right now,” the character said. Some fans interpreted that as a reference to the actor’s real-life tension with his castmates.

In the same episode, Mr. Burton’s character, Jason Morgan, was caught up in a tunnel collapse.

Mr. Burton said in his Instagram video on Tuesday that he hoped the show’s vaccine mandate would be lifted so that he could finish his career playing Jason Morgan.

“And if not,” he added, “I’m going to take this experience, move forward and be forever grateful.”

[Camacho]

this was before he left

 

[swimtoshore]

47 minutes ago, Junior said:

this was before he left

 

LOL OMG 

So he calls people who called for his firing because he refused to take a vaccine that is designed to protect his cast mates from getting covid since they would have to do scenes with him in close proximity without masks  - morons, bigots and horrible horrible people and that he would 'never do that to them' (but he is happy to call them morons, bigots and horrible horrible people)...... 

Please don't come back to Australia FUCKWIT

[Camacho]

@Jazzy Jan are you familiar with this nut Ingo?

[Guest CzarnaWisnia]

It seems he's already had covid, and therefore is immune to it. The vaccine is useless in his case, so he should have been able to stay.

[runa]

1 hour ago, CzarnaWisnia said:

It seems he's already had covid, and therefore is immune to it. The vaccine is useless in his case, so he should have been able to stay.

Studies say you still should get vaccinated even if you already got covid because research has not yet shown how long you are protected after you recover from it.

Evidence is emerging that people get better protection with vaccine compare with having had covid.

 

But hey! Why am I not surprised you don't believe in that shit? 

[Jazzy Jan]

6 hours ago, swimtoshore said:

LOL OMG 

So he calls people who called for his firing because he refused to take a vaccine that is designed to protect his cast mates from getting covid since they would have to do scenes with him in close proximity without masks  - morons, bigots and horrible horrible people and that he would 'never do that to them' (but he is happy to call them morons, bigots and horrible horrible people)...... 

Please don't come back to Australia FUCKWIT

Oh, what a hypocritical idiot. I doubt he will return to Australia as we have vaccination mandates too. 

2 hours ago, Junior said:

@Jazzy Jan are you familiar with this nut Ingo?

I had never heard of him. He sounds like a complete moron.  

[jonski43]

6 hours ago, CzarnaWisnia said:

It seems he's already had covid, and therefore is immune to it. The vaccine is useless in his case, so he should have been able to stay.

I don't think that's true. There are cases where people have become reinfected IIRC.

[Guest CzarnaWisnia]

5 hours ago, jonski43 said:

I don't think that's true. There are cases where people have become reinfected IIRC.

Sure, there's also many cases of vaccinated people becoming infected. But a recent Israel study concluded that natural immunity (through healing) is stronger and longer-lasting than immunity granted by the vaccines currently available.

[jonski43]

10 minutes ago, CzarnaWisnia said:

Sure, there's also many cases of vaccinated people becoming infected. But a recent Israel study concluded that natural immunity (through healing) is stronger and longer-lasting than immunity granted by the vaccines currently available.

Yes but he could still be a carrier and transmit the virus. And given how litigious they are in the US, I imagine the studio is covering its arse. 

[Guest CzarnaWisnia]

13 minutes ago, jonski43 said:

Yes but he could still be a carrier and transmit the virus. And given how litigious they are in the US, I imagine the studio is covering its arse. 

Yes, all countries don't hold the same standards regarding immunity. Both naturally immune and vaccinally immune people can still transmit the disease, but the issue has become so politicized that many people just don't consider the facts anymore.

[HolidayGuy]

More "let go," as Burton said. Either way, though, anyone who doesn't comply with a mandate at their place of employment and refuses to get vaccinated is pretty much choosing to leave, so...

I think I probably had COVID at the onset of the pandemic (March 2020- I could breathe regularly fine, but one of the main effects was, whenever I inhaled, there was a pain in my chest area that I had never experienced before- that)- was never tested,though, at any point. I got the two shots, though I still mask up and such in public. I will probably get the booster at some point now that it's available.

I'm glad GH has mandated it for its actors.

[karbatal]

On 11/26/2021 at 2:30 PM, CzarnaWisnia said:

Sure, there's also many cases of vaccinated people becoming infected. But a recent Israel study concluded that natural immunity (through healing) is stronger and longer-lasting than immunity granted by the vaccines currently available.

I really hope it's true because many who don't want the vaccine say that they already have antibodies. I want to believe that too but it's weird that after one year of natural antibodies lasting so little suddenly they are stronger than vaccines. I wish I knew more about immunology.

Btw why are they pre printing articles without any peer reviewed? This is worrying 

This advisory in the Israel paper means that this should not even be used in this forum.

[Bretticus]

Ingo was in Baywatch wasn't he? They used to hype him up in the teen mags here in Aus when he was in a local soap

[Guest CzarnaWisnia]

57 minutes ago, karbatal said:

I really hope it's true because many who don't want the vaccine say that they already have antibodies. I want to believe that too but it's weird that after one year of natural antibodies lasting so little suddenly they are stronger than vaccines. I wish I knew more about immunology.

Btw why are they pre printing articles without any peer reviewed? This is worrying 

This advisory in the Israel paper means that this should not even be used in this forum.

Many countries accept natural immunity to grant vaccine passports or passes to citizens. As far as I know, it's a basic scientific fact that healing from a virus gives some kind of immunity, but I may be wrong. As for the research, in many fields (especially technology, biology, medicine, etc.) articles are made available in preprint, before having been peer-reviewed or rather during the peer-review process (which can take a long time). When you send your article to a scientific journal, they find usually two experts in the same field, who read and review the article, it's methodology, findings, etc. They write a review and the writers receive it (months later) and modify their article if the reviewers find it worth publishing with some alterations (usually minor). The researchers who publish their manuscript during the peer-review process do so to get credit for a process or an idea, get feedback from a variety of researchers in the field, and get citations of course. It's perfectly normal to share this information, the caveat is simply that it should not guide "clinical practice".

[karbatal]

38 minutes ago, CzarnaWisnia said:

Many countries accept natural immunity to grant vaccine passports or passes to citizens. As far as I know, it's a basic scientific fact that healing from a virus gives some kind of immunity, but I may be wrong. As for the research, in many fields (especially technology, biology, medicine, etc.) articles are made available in preprint, before having been peer-reviewed or rather during the peer-review process (which can take a long time). When you send your article to a scientific journal, they find usually two experts in the same field, who read and review the article, it's methodology, findings, etc. They write a review and the writers receive it (months later) and modify their article if the reviewers find it worth publishing with some alterations (usually minor). The researchers who publish their manuscript during the peer-review process do so to get credit for a process or an idea, get feedback from a variety of researchers in the field, and get citations of course. It's perfectly normal to share this information, the caveat is simply that it should not guide "clinical practice".

If it should not guide clinical practice then it should not be used to defend the idea that strong antibodies equals vaccine. I hope this is correct and it's given green light because the more people immunised, the better. But frankly right now it's simply ammunition for those who oppose the vaccine and who are becoming a real health hazard.

[karbatal]

And I want to add that those two morons look like those late  90s porn actors who spent 35 minutes giving a blow job near a chimney.

[Guest CzarnaWisnia]

14 minutes ago, karbatal said:

If it should not guide clinical practice then it should not be used to defend the idea that strong antibodies equals vaccine. I hope this is correct and it's given green light because the more people immunised, the better. But frankly right now it's simply ammunition for those who oppose the vaccine and who are becoming a real health hazard.

Well, it's not the only research on the subject. These same conclusions are taken into consideration by the CDC:

"Multiple studies have compared the incidence of reinfection and primary infection during a specific time period to evaluate the level and duration of protection provided by initial infection with SARS-CoV-2. Table 2 summarizes data from seven observational cohort studies from six countries, each with >10,000 participants, assessing the risk of reinfection over time. Five studies used RT-PCR positivity to define initial infection. In these studies, primary RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection decreased risk of subsequent infection by 80–93% for at least 6–9 months ^[54-58]. Studies specifically assessing persons seropositive with anti-N and anti-S antibodies following infection ^{[16, 45]} found slightly higher protective effects (89–93%). Most studies had a mean or median follow-up period of approximately 7 months; the longest reported follow-up was 12 months post-infection ^[58]. Three studies included sub-analysis to assess if the protection waned over time; none of these found a decline in protection within the follow-up period."

Different countries make different recommendations (and clinical practice varies) based on relatively the same data, which is their prerogative.

[karbatal]

13 minutes ago, CzarnaWisnia said:

Well, it's not the only research on the subject. These same conclusions are taken into consideration by the CDC:

"Multiple studies have compared the incidence of reinfection and primary infection during a specific time period to evaluate the level and duration of protection provided by initial infection with SARS-CoV-2. Table 2 summarizes data from seven observational cohort studies from six countries, each with >10,000 participants, assessing the risk of reinfection over time. Five studies used RT-PCR positivity to define initial infection. In these studies, primary RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection decreased risk of subsequent infection by 80–93% for at least 6–9 months ^[54-58]. Studies specifically assessing persons seropositive with anti-N and anti-S antibodies following infection ^{[16, 45]} found slightly higher protective effects (89–93%). Most studies had a mean or median follow-up period of approximately 7 months; the longest reported follow-up was 12 months post-infection ^[58]. Three studies included sub-analysis to assess if the protection waned over time; none of these found a decline in protection within the follow-up period."

Different countries make different recommendations (and clinical practice varies) based on relatively the same data, which is their prerogative.

The debate gets wider when the prerogative of some means dangerous mutations for others. 

I will wait until these things are officially accepted. Meanwhile they are studies published by scientists which still have not been considered acceptable by the scientific community. 

[ULIZOS]

20 hours ago, CzarnaWisnia said:

Well, it's not the only research on the subject. These same conclusions are taken into consideration by the CDC:

"Multiple studies have compared the incidence of reinfection and primary infection during a specific time period to evaluate the level and duration of protection provided by initial infection with SARS-CoV-2. Table 2 summarizes data from seven observational cohort studies from six countries, each with >10,000 participants, assessing the risk of reinfection over time. Five studies used RT-PCR positivity to define initial infection. In these studies, primary RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection decreased risk of subsequent infection by 80–93% for at least 6–9 months ^[54-58]. Studies specifically assessing persons seropositive with anti-N and anti-S antibodies following infection ^{[16, 45]} found slightly higher protective effects (89–93%). Most studies had a mean or median follow-up period of approximately 7 months; the longest reported follow-up was 12 months post-infection ^[58]. Three studies included sub-analysis to assess if the protection waned over time; none of these found a decline in protection within the follow-up period."

Different countries make different recommendations (and clinical practice varies) based on relatively the same data, which is their prerogative.

So are we all supposed to run outside unvaccinated, get infected on purpose so, assuming you survive or don’t get long-term conditions, we build up natural immunity for 6 - 9 months so that you don’t get sick from the same virus you just had?

On 11/26/2021 at 5:59 AM, CzarnaWisnia said:

Yes, all countries don't hold the same standards regarding immunity. Both naturally immune and vaccinally immune people can still transmit the disease, but the issue has become so politicized that many people just don't consider the facts anymore.

Seriously what fucking facts? Hinting that anyone should risk their life by getting the the virus as an alternative to protecting oneself from the same virus is fucking stupid and dangerous. 

We have all read the fucking reports on natural immunity. It’s called playing Russian roulette and putting everyone around you who DOESN’T want to get sick in danger because you’re selfish pricks. 

[karbatal]

11 minutes ago, ULIZOS said:

So are we all supposed to run outside unvaccinated, get infected on purpose so, assuming you survive or don’t get long-term conditions, we build up natural immunity for 6 - 9 months so that you don’t get sick from the same virus you just had?

Seriously what fucking facts? Hinting that anyone should risk their life by getting the the virus as an alternative to protecting oneself from the same virus is fucking stupid and dangerous. 

We have all read the fucking reports on natural immunity. It’s called playing Russian roulette and putting everyone around you who DOESN’T want to get sick in danger because you’re selfish pricks. 

We already have almost two years of experience with this virus. If anybody still thinks that having natural antibodies is the way, they'd better prepare a coffin for someone in the family or for themselves.

[runa]

This Israeli study has been debunked by many specialists and many other studies say exactly the opposite. So? Who's to believe ?

[karbatal]

4 hours ago, runa said:

This Israeli study has been debunked by many specialists and many other studies say exactly the opposite. So? Who's to believe ?

I think common sense says to believe what works. And statistics say that unvaccinated people are dropping like flies. 

 

[runa]

29 minutes ago, karbatal said:

I think common sense says to believe what works. And statistics say that unvaccinated people are dropping like flies. 

 

They said, once again, a few days ago, that more than 85% of people in intensive care are non-vaccinated people. It says a lot, isn't it ?

[karbatal]

10 hours ago, runa said:

They said, once again, a few days ago, that more than 85% of people in intensive care are non-vaccinated people. It says a lot, isn't it ?

I guess when they do their own research they will find an obscure unreviewed paper saying that they get magic powers in intensive care or something.

[runa]

6 hours ago, karbatal said:

I guess when they do their own research they will find an obscure unreviewed paper saying that they get magic powers in intensive care or something.

Apparently, when you're dead, you have less chances to get reinfected,

 

[Cyber-Raga]

I hate this argument people here in Germany use when it comes to personal liberties. In my mind, your personal liberty ends when you become a menace to somebody else, especially those with underlying conditions. 
And it’s not only that! Intensive care units are overrun by unvaccinated people who either underestimated the virus, who bluntly reject its existence, who are conspiracy nut jobs, but also by those who are “lifestyle organic this and that influencers”. Meanwhile if you have a heart attack or stroke or whatever, you risk being rejected at the door because the hospital does not have any capacities left. 
It is insane. I don’t get this world sometimes. 

[ULIZOS]

4 hours ago, runa said:

Apparently, when you're dead, you have less chances to get reinfected,

 

That's literally the mentality with this nonsense. Get infected, hope you survive and that you didn't infect any vulnerable people (including vaccinated vulnerable people), and if you do survive, BAM now you have superpowers. Better than the shot. 

I  CAN  NOT 

Look at the most recent data from NPR 

 

[Jazzy Jan]

8 hours ago, Cyber-Raga said:

I hate this argument people here in Germany use when it comes to personal liberties. In my mind, your personal liberty ends when you become a menace to somebody else, especially those with underlying conditions. 
And it’s not only that! Intensive care units are overrun by unvaccinated people who either underestimated the virus, who bluntly reject its existence, who are conspiracy nut jobs, but also by those who are “lifestyle organic this and that influencers”. Meanwhile if you have a heart attack or stroke or whatever, you risk being rejected at the door because the hospital does not have any capacities left. 
It is insane. I don’t get this world sometimes. 

It is maddening. We have the exact same groups of people you mentioned in Australia too. A very noisy group that compare vaccine mandates to taking over their freedom and even have the nerve to compare Melbourne to Nazi Germany during the war.  So offensive and selfish. Meanwhile, ambulance wait times are now an issue.