An Associated Press article “Questioning a catchphrase: ‘Pandemic of the unvaccinated,’ ” says the unvaccinated shouldn’t be stigmatized, but that the news sources they are reading/watching should be. I agree that the news sources that support not vaccinating are wrong, but I also think adults who make ludicrous decisions in the name of “freedom,” or whatever reason, are irresponsibly affecting others.
So, a proposal:
- Insurance companies and medical facilities treat the unvaxxed like smokers, apply a surcharge to their rates. By the way, I would love to see the smoking analogy applied to all public locations: “No smoking or unvaxxing inside. Please go to the smoking/unvaxxed area.” What a fun conversation that would be!
- Unvaccinated COVID-19 patients receive care, but at a priority level that will not displace beds for more urgent, nonpreventable maladies. That might sound harsh to the healthy reader, but not to a person with a serious ailment who has suffered delayed treatment because of the unvaccinated, whose rate of COVID hospitalization is 17 times higher than the vaccinated.
If you are not vaccinated, please get the painless jab and reduce the stress on your fellow citizens, especially the ill ones, and on the medical system in general. There is no other responsible choice.
