An ER doctor's urgent plea for people to get vaccinated

This guest column by Dr. Brian Patel, the chief of Emergency Services & Associate Chief Quality Officer Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, appeared Tuesday, Sept. 7 in The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro, MA, and it's a powerful argument in favor of vaccinations as a way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
And it's also a powerful argument in favor of getting vaccinated to actually try to get the pandemic under control, if not to eventually wipe the damned thing out altogether.

Here are some of his arguments; read the entire column at the link provided:

* The science has been clear. The most effective way to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and to keep our community safe is to get vaccinated.
* Massachusetts remains one of the highest vaccinated states in the country. As a result, hospitals in the state are not seeing the same overwhelming numbers of COVID-19 patients which other, much less vaccinated, states are currently.
* However, Bristol County, our county, has not seen the same increase in vaccination rates as compared to the rest of the Commonwealth. Currently, Bristol County is only at a 60% (at least one dose) vaccination rate while other counties in the state are seeing rates well over 70 percent.
* These lower vaccination rates have been a key factor to local hospital surges of COVID-positive patients, many of whom are ultimately ending up in intensive care units on ventilators. Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro is no exception. We have experienced significant increases in COVID-19 patients, caring for anywhere from 17-25 positive patients in the hospital each day.
* One hundred percent of our COVID-positive patients in the ICU are unvaccinated, and 83% of these patients are on ventilators. 
* The severity of the situation is serious and requires action. The data continues to prove that the vaccines remain highly effective against COVID-19 with estimates of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines being anywhere from 66% to 96% effective against the delta variant.
* In Massachusetts, less than 1% of fully vaccinated individuals have tested positive for COVID-19, even less have required hospitalization and significantly less have died. This is clear proof of the efficacy of the vaccines.

Read the entire column at this link --- and GET VACCINATED if you're not yet --- no more excuses!!!!!!!!


https://www.thesunchronicle.com/opinion/columns/guest-column-protect-yourself-protect-our-community-get-vaccinated/article_4d762826-f879-5606-94cc-f4653bf6aeb5.html

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