This is in response to the letter from Tiffany Howell suggesting that establishments requiring patrons and/or workers to be vaccinated are discriminatory.
Ms. Howell informs us that she became vaccinated in an effort to “protect my parents” and then argues throughout the rest of her letter that vaccination offers us no protection.
Faulty logic aside, these are the facts - people who are vaccinated are far less likely to contract the disease and also less likely to spread it than those who are not (health.clevelandclinic.org, August 2021).
Hopefully this answers Ms. Howell’s repeated question, “What is being accomplished?”
What’s being accomplished is a reduction in the risk of spreading and/or contracting COVID in the midst of a pandemic.
Kudos to those business owners for doing what’s best to protect their staff and their patrons.
She goes on to suggest that the practice is particularly discriminatory toward the country’s minority population which remains in the highest percentile of the unvaccinated. Letters like hers, downplaying the effectiveness of the vaccine, only contribute to the mistrust that prevents many minorities from getting the vaccine.
The best remedy for anyone who may be feeling discriminated against as a result of this practice is to go and get vaccinated. It’s free and it’s safe.
For those among us who refuse to be vaccinated despite all medical evidence suggesting you should, we thank you for eating elsewhere.
Greg Galluccio
Warwick