Whom am I Hurting?

In a recent LTE, C.R Barbour stated "Individuals who are fully vaccinated and boosted can and do carry and can spread the virus as easy as the unvaccinated person. The only person being hurt here is the unvaccinated person."

First, it is true vaccinated people can become infected since the effectiveness of the vaccine varies depending on the variant, one's immune system and age. And, for those with underlying health conditions (immunocompromised), an infection could be life threatening. So, vaccinated people can be hurt, along with the unvaccinated.

Second, the unvaccinated are far more likely to get seriously infected, thereby spreading the disease more readily, form new variants, and thus perpetuate the disease throughout the community. The purpose of the vaccine is to reach a level of herd immunity that will reduce the spread and generation of variants of concern. As an increasing percentage of our population became fully vaccinated, there was a significant drop in hospitalizations and deaths (per recent studies and the CDC) due to the Delta variant. With the onset of the Omicron variant, hospitalizations shot up primarily due to its highly infectious nature (over 90% of Covid hospitalizations currently are due to Omicron).

And third, let's not forget the impact on our healthcare system. ERs around the country are being inundated with Covid cases, of which over 75% of those admitted to the ICU are unvaccinated. This affects everyone who needs healthcare services, regardless of their vaccination status. Imagine waiting for hours in the ER to be seen. I know from recent personal experience it's exasperating and likely results in needless deaths.

So, in conclusion C.R Barbour, YES the unvaccinated ARE the primary cause for the "continuation/spread of the virus", and the cause of unnecessary deaths. If the unvaccinated are being "ridiculed, threatened and persecuted" (as you state), and this encourages more people to get vaccinated, then that is better for society. After all, vaccine mandates are not a 'rights/freedom' issue, but a 'public health' issue.

I do agree with you on one point: "Common sense is the only cure and so many have lost that gift as well."