Dr. Bryan Williams wistfully recalls the public's enthusiastic support for medical providers early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Deep into 2021, it's a distant memory as he and his colleagues at M Health Fairview hospitals battle a virus fiercely resurgent in Minnesota.
A simple message: Vaccines save lives
The stark gap in outcomes between the vaccinated and unvaccinated offers more reason to get the shots.
November 21, 2021 at 12:00AM
Williams is a pulmonary critical care specialist, and he cares for those severely ill from COVID. At his health care system and elsewhere, staffing ranks are thinner, with colleagues retiring early, moving to less stressful positions, or taking a leave of absence.
The providers who remain are exhausted. Emergency rooms are jammed, with even waiting rooms running out of space. Patients are often younger, sometimes with small children robbed by COVID of a parent. Maybe most disheartening is this: It didn't have to be this way, with vaccines widely available.
"There was this sentiment. You're our heroes. We'll do anything to help. The question is why doesn't some of that still go on?" Williams said. "That loss of support and feeling kind of left alone has been one of the toughest pills to swallow."
Health care providers like Williams aren't asking for parades or fly-by salutes. What they need is action to ease their days. Specifically, that means all Minnesotans getting the best possible medicine against COVID — vaccines and boosters — and taking sensible precautions like masking to avoid maxing out hospitals.
This is an entirely reasonable ask. Masking is a small inconvenience. The shots are free, and there's still time for their protection to kick in even as the surge worsens. State and federal health officials also have heeded the Star Tribune Editorial Board's call to clarify and broaden booster eligibility, so getting this additional protection against infection and severe illness is even easier.
The state's medical society is amplifying Williams' concerns. It issued an urgent plea this week to help weary providers. The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) represents 12,000 doctors, residents and medical students. "Health care workers will continue to do their jobs, but we are struggling, and we need help,'' said MMA President Dr. Randy Rice.
Coming to the aid of overwhelmed medical staffers is just one of many reasons to get vaccinated. As of Friday, the majority of Minnesota adults had taken this responsible step, with 74.7% of those 18 and up considered fully vaccinated. But the overall vaccination rate needs to be higher to thwart COVID's spread. Immunizing our way to "herd immunity" is much safer than acquiring antibodies the other way — by getting sick with COVID.
It's unclear what will convince those still on the fence to get the shots. The malicious merchants of COVID disinformation aren't giving up, so neither are we. Here are fresh considerations:
- It's too late to get the vaccine after you're infected. Tragic stories abound of COVID skeptics who wanted the vaccine after they became seriously ill. That's too late. The vaccine prepares your immune system for a viral invader. You can't train for a fight in the midst of one.
- While treatments are available for COVID, they can come with side effects and may be in short supply. Two new antivirals from Pfizer and Merck also aren't yet cleared for use. An ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure.
- The vaccines prevent serious illness and death. Two charts accompanying this editorial powerfully illustrate this. There's a stark gap in outcomes for the vaccinated and unvaccinated. To anyone disputing vaccine effectiveness, the data convincingly states otherwise.
COVID vaccination is the equivalent of wearing Kevlar body armor into battle. Masking and social distancing further strengthen this foundational safeguard. While nothing provides 100% guarantee against viral "bullets," your odds are significantly improved thanks to these protections.
Now that Gov. Tim Walz’s vice presidential bid has ended, there’s important work to do at home. Reinvigorating that “One Minnesota” campaign is a must.
