Garcetti defends city vaccine mandate: 'I as mayor will never apologize for saving lives'

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- City of Los Angeles employees have until Dec. 18 to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing their jobs.

Some employees continue to resist the mandate, but Mayor Eric Garcetti told Eyewitness News he is pleased to see the "overwhelming majority" are complying.

"I as mayor will never apologize for saving lives," Garcetti said.

He noted that more than three-quarters of employees in the police and fire departments and other agencies have complied with the mandate at this point, and said local vaccine measures and other COVID-19 protocols have likely saved tens of thousands of lives.

RELATED: Garcetti says LA employees who aren't vaccinated by Dec. 18 'should be prepared' to lose jobs

Mayor Eric Garcetti said any city employee who refuses to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 18 "should be prepared to lose their job.''

He noted he'd much rather have employees comply rather than having to fire any of them.

"My goal is not to lose a single employee but to have everybody vaccinated and have everybody employed," Garcetti said.

Garcetti was asked about several other local topics, including the federal corruption charges facing City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, and efforts to address allegations of sexism in the Los Angeles Fire Department.

To hear Garcetti's complete conversation with ABC7's Ellen Leyva, please watch the video above.