I’ll be honest; my patience has run thin when it comes to those who resist masking and vaccination. If you’ve spent the last year and a half spreading misinformation about COVID or dissuading others from getting vaccinated, I genuinely don’t care about your feelings anymore. The evidence is clear: the minimal risk associated with the vaccine is dwarfed by the significant dangers posed by COVID-19. It’s worth noting that the majority of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 are among the unvaccinated.
Research has consistently demonstrated that masks effectively reduce the transmission of diseases and pose no health risks to healthy individuals. Anyone downplaying this or claiming otherwise is simply mistaken. Conspiracy theories and personal opinions do not equate to facts, and the spread of anti-science rhetoric has had deadly consequences. It’s shameful.
I empathize with those who experience genuine medical anxiety or have past traumas affecting their decision to get vaccinated. However, there’s a crucial distinction between hesitancy and actively campaigning against vaccination. Some people legitimately cannot receive vaccines, which is why it’s critical that those who are eligible do not refuse them.
It’s frustrating that certain politicians and anti-science advocates have made vaccination a political issue. This situation could have been avoided, but here we are. People continue to die when a couple of simple vaccine shots could have saved them.
Regardless of individual reasons for not being vaccinated, the result is the same: unvaccinated individuals face a significantly higher risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death if they contract COVID-19. The Delta variant has exacerbated this, making it even more likely that unvaccinated people will get infected, leading to more severe cases.
Across the nation, hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID patients. ICUs are running out of space, and healthcare professionals are struggling to keep up. The impact of COVID-19 is devastating, with most critical patients being unvaccinated. Tragically, veterans with treatable conditions are also losing their lives due to the lack of available care.
Given the escalating crisis, some have raised a provocative question: Should vaccination status be considered when deciding who receives an ICU bed? Honestly, I find this question challenging. Is it ethical to deny care based on vaccination status? If it were my unvaccinated loved one who needed care, I would want them to get it immediately.
The notion of prioritizing care based on survival likelihood is a disturbing reality—remember the situation in Italy?—and is precisely why we must increase vaccination rates to alleviate the burden on hospitals.
Unfortunately, some individuals have begun equating vaccination status with other health conditions. Comparisons have been made between unvaccinated COVID patients and individuals suffering from smoking-related illnesses, drug-related heart damage, alcohol-related liver disease, and obesity. They argue that if those with self-inflicted conditions are entitled to medical care, then so should the unvaccinated.
Oh, where do I begin? First of all, and it’s disheartening to point this out—obesity is not contagious. None of their ridiculous comparisons are. Being around someone with a chronic illness doesn’t make you ill. Diseases like lung cancer, heart damage, and cirrhosis are not infectious. Any non-contagious condition invoked by the anti-vaccine crowd to excuse their behavior is a nonsensical comparison.
Secondly, being overweight does not constitute an illness, nor are individuals with larger bodies a threat to our healthcare system. Millions of people classified as clinically obese were never the reason for ICU shortages before the pandemic. The idea that larger bodies are endangering others is unfounded.
Moreover, accessing adequate medical care can be particularly challenging for fat individuals, even in the best of circumstances. If you believe that nobody has received subpar COVID care due to body size, I have a bridge to sell you. While many healthcare professionals are true heroes during this pandemic, anti-fat bias in the medical community is a well-documented issue that likely affects treatment decisions.
Lastly, there is no vaccine that can make someone thin enough to avoid judgment in medical situations. There’s no quick and easy solution to change body size. In contrast, we have a range of vaccines available for COVID-19, including one with full FDA approval. A couple of simple injections can significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. So why are people still hesitating?
This is why discussions about prioritizing care based on vaccination status arise. It’s not about denying anyone a chance at life; it’s about the stark reality that unvaccinated individuals are more likely to require critical care. When hospitals are overwhelmed with patients who chose not to protect themselves, it’s understandable that the idea of prioritizing vaccinated patients might come up.
I’m not sure how I feel about using vaccination status in triage decisions, but I sympathize with those who propose the idea. When resources are limited and choices must be made, someone will have to decide who receives care first. When hospitals cannot cope with a surge of critical patients, a healthcare professional must determine who has a chance at survival and who does not. It’s unacceptable for anti-vaxxers to act as if they have no responsibility in reducing this burden.
If those resistant to vaccination want to avoid hospitals making decisions based on their vaccination status, they should get vaccinated instead of relying on an already overstretched healthcare system to accommodate them when they contract a virus they claim to be unafraid of. Blaming others for their medical conditions does not justify remaining unvaccinated. The comparisons simply don’t hold up.
For further insights on related topics, check out this other blog post, or visit Intracervical Insemination, a resource with authority on this matter. Additionally, if you’re considering options for pregnancy and home insemination, March of Dimes is an excellent resource to explore.
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In summary, the ongoing debate about vaccination status and healthcare prioritization raises complex ethical questions. While people may draw parallels with chronic diseases, the reality is that COVID-19 is a contagious virus with available preventative measures. The urgency to increase vaccination rates cannot be overstated, as the consequences of inaction affect not only individuals but also the healthcare system as a whole.