Editor:
Deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19 recently exceeded 900,000 people. According to Statistica.com, more than 615,000 military personnel died in World War II, World War I, the Korean War and the Vietnam War combined. This is an unparalleled tragedy for our country.
The evidence is clear that several hundred thousand deaths could have been prevented if more people would have chosen to get vaccinated and a booster shot. Even the heart-wrenching stories about people on their deathbed saying, “I made a mistake, I wish I had gotten vaccinated,” were not enough to convince many people to get the shots.
The incredible onslaught of anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theories, misinformation and outright lies spread on social media and reinforced by national conservative broadcasters, elected officials, and various pundits turned a public health discussion into a test of political philosophical purity.
The battle cry, “The government is not going to tell me what to do,” has been unfortunately effective. These individuals contributed to this tragedy and have blood on their hands.
I hope that all of us can examine this ongoing disaster through the lens of the huge number of deaths that can still be prevented and then explore ways to do better. The death rate in December was 0.10 per 100,000 for those vaccinated with a booster and 9.7 for unvaccinated people. That’s 97 times worse. Would you like your chance of surviving COVID to increase 97 times? Please get a vaccination, it is in your own self-interest.
Willis Kanaley
Exeter Township
Source: Berkshire mont