Many in the U.S. would have you believe that individuals should only be concerned with their personal welfare and that of their immediate family. There used to be a time in our history when neighbors knew who lived on their street, when children were disciplined from not only their parents but also the elderly lady in the corner house, and when people rallied together to fight injustice or meet the needs of others. Unfortunately, our current mindset is embodied in the phrase: “you do you”. If we look around at our current situation, the “you do you” mindset has caused great harm to everyone.
Due to this Delta-variant of the COVID-19 virus, mask mandates are being imposed again. It is as if no one remembers how horrible it was when we had the stay-at-home order. Businesses closed, children could not attend school in person, and most importantly, many people DIED. There were so many people that died, the morticians could not keep up with the number of dead bodies. Am I the only person who fears we could again be in that dark place if we as a community do not get our act together?
As a concerned provider, I have participated in numerous webinars, spoken to my patients, written articles, and I have also created social media content to educate the public. I was even filmed getting my vaccine. I don’t know what else to do. I am now at my wits’ end. I’m sure I speak for my colleagues when I say that WE NEED YOUR HELP! We need every vaccinated person to speak with 1 or 2 people and help them see the benefit of being vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.
To my unvaccinated brothers and sisters out there, I wanted to share some things for you to think about. For many of you, you honestly believe that your decision not to vaccinate is a personal one and it only affects you. However, please let me share a hypothetical situation for you to ponder.
Let’s say you are diagnosed with COVID-19. You could experience high fevers, chills, muscle aches, diarrhea, COVID toes, and shortness of breath. Your breathing difficulties could become so severe that you would need to be hospitalized and sent to the Intensive Care Unit. While there, you will need an ICU nurse, an intensivist (specialized doctor for the ICU), a pulmonary specialist, and countless other staff members to care for you. During your stay, you are not able to work and obtain income. Therefore, your family must figure out how they will pay the rent or mortgage, car payment, and buy food. Furthermore, you and all the other unvaccinated folks are utilizing all the ICU beds. This means that the motorcyclist who was involved in a severe crash, now has no ICU bed for their injuries. Not having the appropriate level of care could be fatal for them. So, hopefully this scenario makes it crystal clear that the notion that “not getting vaccinated” is a personal decision, is really a personal-global decision. Our actions do impact others.
My message is not one of blame. I am only asking for people to make an informed decision utilizing reputable information. Please speak with trusted individuals like your doctor. Allow them to explain the science behind the vaccine. Whether we like it or not, we are all in this together. It is time for us all to be heroes.
Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D., FAAFP is associate professor an SLUCare Family Medicine interim assistant dean of diversity equity and inclusion.