Dr. Brytney Cobia stands over a hospital bed as a patient infected with covid-19 reaches out, on the verge of death, to beg for a vaccine. Unfortunately, her response offers no such chance: I’m sorry, it’s too late.
For Dr. Cobia, this has been a common experience during her time at the Grandview Medical Center in Alabama. Like similar stories circulating across the nation, this has been the reality of far too many as covid-19 infections spike.
Cheyenne, Wyoming, resident Ross Bagne was 68 years old when he became eligible for the vaccine in February. His family has said that he did not take the vaccine because he mostly stayed home and did not believe he could contract it.
Months later, in June, he died in the hospital after suffering complications from contracting the virus. In another example of being too late, Bagne’s family wishes he had received the vaccine when he had a chance.
Unvaccinated young people are not immune from these surges either. At 24 years old, a Georgia man named Blake Bargatze was the only member in his family to not get vaccinated. Earlier this spring, he was hospitalized in the ICU, where he has remained for several months after requiring a double lung transplant. Bargatze, like many in his situation, wishes he had been vaccinated sooner.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Arkansas is now included among several U.S. states leading in low vaccination rates and surging case numbers, infections that are now including more and more children. The Arkansas Children’s Hospital recently reported that 11 out of 12 children admitted to the hospital last week for covid-19 were unvaccinated, with half being old enough to get the vaccine.
Patients like these are more than statistics that we see in news reports. They’re parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and children, many of whom have not been vaccinated and are losing their lives as a result.
A number of concerns and beliefs have led to vaccine hesitancy. One argument is that getting vaccinated is ineffective because you can still be infected. It’s true that vaccinations aren’t perfect.
There is still a small chance that you can be infected with covid-19 after getting vaccinated. However, public health data show that the overwhelming majority of people now dying from covid-19 are unvaccinated. People who receive the vaccine are more likely to experience mild to no symptoms and fully recover.
Others have expressed distrust in the safety of the vaccine. Yet public health experts, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Arkansas Department of Health, are united in support for available vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna.
These agencies consist of experts from a wide spectrum of political ideologies, ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs who are guided by medical evidence. If individuals continue to have concerns, they are encouraged to discuss vaccines with their doctors or local pharmacists. It is likely that they will echo the importance of getting vaccinated.
Some people may be reluctant to get vaccinated because someone they know experienced mild symptoms after receiving the shot, such as an elevated temperature or a sore arm. Although this doesn’t happen to everyone, it does to some. But it’s normal.
Experiences like this are evidence of the vaccine working as the body builds immunity, and the feeling usually passes within days. It’s far better to potentially experience mild symptoms from a vaccine than the deadly consequences of the virus itself.
Overall, it’s possible that unvaccinated individuals may contract the virus and recover. However, depending on this strategy is a dangerous gamble. There is a considerable risk that you could become one of the many people who loses their lives, or passes the virus along to other unvaccinated people who may lose their lives. Not getting vaccinated endangers you and others. Most people wouldn’t risk their safety or that of others, like their children, in a game of Russian roulette. Therefore, people shouldn’t risk their lives by taking a chance on this virus. Getting vaccinated is easier than ever and should be utilized to its greatest potential. I’m encouraging all Arkansans to get vaccinated now at their nearest clinic or pharmacy before it’s too late.
The city of Pine Bluff, in partnership with Doctor’s Orders Pharmacy, will host a covid-19 vaccination clinic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Free doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be available to individuals aged 12 years and older. The clinic will be held inside the center, however, the north ramp will be used as a drive-through setting for citizens who are handicapped or cannot get out of their vehicles. Details: Pine Bluff City Hall, 870-730-2145.
Shirley Washington is mayor of Pine Bluff.