Houston Methodist on Tuesday suspended 178 workers without pay for 14 days for failing to comply with the Texas hospital's COVID-19 vaccine requirement.

Driving the news: Houston Methodist CEO Marc Boom said in an internal staff message shared with Axios that 24,947 staff had been vaccinated against the virus by Monday’s deadline. 27 of those who didn't get fully vaccinated "have received one dose of vaccine, so I am hopeful they will get their second doses soon," Boom said.

What else he's saying: "I know that today may be difficult for some who are sad about losing a colleague who’s decided to not get vaccinated," Boom said.

• "We only wish them well and thank them for their past service to our community, and we must respect the decision they made."
• The Washington Post first reported the news.

Go deeper: 117 staff sue Houston Methodist over COVID vaccine requirement

Editor's note: This a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.