This column submitted by a doctor who wishes to remain anonymous. Rest assured, he is not some quack or doc speaking outside of his specialty. JJ verified the data mentioned in column.
Until now your responsibilities in the COVID pandemic have been limited. Your efforts have been to find ways to mitigate the virus and the hospitalizations and death that follows the virus. Viruses have a way of making you a coach or cheerleader: “Come on, team, wear your mask. Wash your hands. Socially distance.” Much like trying to tell teenagers not to get pregnant.
Now you are in the driver’s seat and you are making life and death decisions. You are. And this is a plea that you don’t screw it up and kill more people. Because your decisions now do matter. It is literally a matter of life and death.
The state sets the priorities for who gets the vaccine and in what order.
There are some interesting observations from the US and Europe this week that highlight that problem we have as a country. There are selfies of European physicians happy to be giving the vaccine to the vulnerable. There are also selfies of young, healthy American physicians, receiving the vaccine.
The default decision on who is in the next priority group will be to follow the CDC’s recommendations as announced this past Sunday and Monday. But you should not follow those recommendations because those recommendations will kill more people than choosing another path.
98% of Mississippi’s deaths have been in people over 40 years old. But your first priorities have been to vaccinate thousands of healthcare workers, many under age 40. Why? For every 18-24 year old healthcare worker that you have vaccinated, you have needlessly risked killing another senior (over age 65).
Ask yourself this question: How many healthcare workers in Mississippi under age 24 have died in the past six months? Because that number (zero?) is the number you will save over the next six months by vaccinating thousands of health care workers under age 24.. Instead, you could be vaccinating the 70 and older population and decreasing the death rate in our state.
Canada, England, and most civilized countries have an age-based roll out of the vaccine. Their priorities are meant to save lives. Canadian priorities, English priorities
Have you asked yourself why the CDC plan is so skewed and does not recognize that what the CDC has already published, that the risk from the virus is 270X higher for those 70+ compared to those 18-50?
Dig into the CDC data. The data model was developed by Jo Walker, a young person (a “nonbinary trans”) whose Twitter name is “Festively Defund the Police” and who notes that he lives in “occupied Mvskove land” (Native American Land”).
Jo developed his model using assumptions that are erroneous. One of them is that the efficacy of the vaccine is only “35%” in those 65 and older. This is completely contrary to the published data from the FDA trial data showing “100%” in this age group.
The CDC data model (built and published on November 30) uses this faulty data and downplays the value of the vaccine in those over age 65.
The State of Texas recognizes the faulty data in the CDC’s model and they are creating their own priorities, to save lives. Texas press release
The Governor of Florida and his health department have also recognized the faulty data. They are choosing those over 65 to be in the next wave, ahead of “essential workers.”
Governor DeSantis recognized it well: “The problem as I see it is a 22-year old food service worker would get a vaccine before a 74 year old grandmother. I don’t think the recommendation is an appropriate calculation of relative risk.”
Florida is not buying the faulty CDC recommendations. People over 65 are going t be in line before essential health workers. And it will save lives.
What are our state’s numbers? How many “essential workers” under age 30 have dies in the pandemic? Any?
Are you basing your life and death decisions on science? If so, announce how many essential workers in Mississippi under age 40 have died since the start of the pandemic?
You are responsible for the life and death decisions (now) on who will get the vaccine first. By choosing younger essential works over those 65+, you are condemning many of the older citizens to die. And history will not be kind to you.
Take a fresh look at our state’s priorities. Look at what the Canadians and the English have done. Their plans will decrease mortality. The CDC plan (developed on the assumptions of Jo Walker) will prolong suffering and death. It is in your hands.
42 comments:
I saw where AOC was first in line
It would seem that we should vaccinate 65+, then 50-65, then 25-40, then 16-25. if the deaths are so much higher in 65+, they should get the vaccine first.
all this to say, there's an argument for vaccinating those who work with Covid-19 patients first..
My wife and I are over 70 and according the the state of Mississippi we might get the vaccine by summer 2021. We may just have to move to Florida just to save our lives.
Thank you.
Rest assured, a "physician" who starts in with an attack on Dr. Dobbs, trans people, etc. is likely a quack.
Comments expected from the learned and lettered members of MAWKE soon.
Anonymous “doctor” who immediately says “trans”
The reason “dr” is anonymous is cause he isn’t a “dr.”
He’s a quack being given time here to make shit up.
When liability is a thing for web sites like this....quacks can still be quacks but a jury will be able to decide damage issues.
Jesus ....get a life dude.
Go ahead. I'll win that lawsuit every.damn.time.
New mask study. Yippee
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-12/aiop-mne122120.php
This decision alone makes Tate the only Republican in the state that I would consider voting for a Dem to replace him. Tate, you were gonna be on thin ice anyway this next election but this is going to get you beat. Better give it a little more thought Tater.
Retired MD age 72 here.
It only makes sense to give the 1st shots to the professionals of ANY age who are in the front lines of the virus battle!! If young, they may may not have much risk of dying from the virus BUT they are at high risk of catching it and passing it on to many others, including patients and the elderly that are exposed to them. I would be leery of going to a clinic where the workers were not vaccinated.
The war on the elderly is real. Those Bribem supporters are mad, mad at this column. Thank you Kingfish.
I’m guessing the logic behind vaccinating the workers that are needed to staff the hospitals is so they don’t have to send them home to quarantine... so they can keep caring for all you retards not wearing masks and everyone you infect. There’s already staff shortages all over, vaccinating them first will help keep them at work and probably save more lives than “just vaccinating old people” first. I don’t know though, I’m just some anon on this shitty blog.
Dear “Retired MD, Age 72”...... seems that you might need to attend several CMEs before you start giving out medical advice again. No study of any of the current vaccines has shown that they prevent the spread of COVID from someone who’s been vaccinated to someone who has not.
It's been widely reported that the Hollywood crowd have been trying to bribe physicans to cut in line. That UMMC CEO is just special for cutting in line.
If the physician doesn’t have the guts to publicly stand behind his/her opinion, who gives a shit what they have to say.
We are in agreement, you don't know.
Hey, doc, if I'm not mistaken these vaccines don't stop someone from spreading the virus. That's why the vaccinated need to continue to wear masks. Maybe you should read a little more in your spare time since you are retired.
We can all argue till we're blue in the face over who should get the vaccine first. Everybody is right. Hopefully, more and more will be available soon.
How about convincing any of your anti-vax friends to take the damn thing when it is available.
Overall, I am disappointed with my government. The US is worse off per capita than the rest of the world, and Mississippi is worse off than the average for other states.
Point the finger at whomever you like.
"Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order Wednesday making it official that the next group of people in Florida to get the COVID-19 vaccine will be the state’s more than 4 million residents over 65 years old.
Earlier in the week, DeSantis said he planned to prioritize the state’s older residents before essential workers such as firefighters, teachers and grocery store workers.
This comes after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel made recommendations that the next priority vaccination group include people 75 and older, a group that includes about 20 million people, along with essential workers."
If this doc put his name on this letter and offered it for publication, he would likely make himself a public figure for the purposes of this issue. There is an entirely different set of legal standards for defamation that apply to public figures.
I don't blame him for not wanting to offer himself up for public crucifixion by reputation-destroying attacks with (practically) no legal recourse.
My father died in a nursing home that he was discharged to rehab after hospital stay. Congestive heart failure, could t walk and dementia. He was quarantined for two weeks and I was supposed to get to see him outside, at that point. Guess what? They changed the rules the DAY I was supposed to see him..bc COViD. After a few calls, a nurse let me FaceTime him. Another let him call. The day after out last chat, they let us know he was positive for Covid 3.5 weeks into his “safe” stay. No symptoms, no fever. He died sitting up in his chair the next day. I argued with the coroner about cause of death. Either Covid wasn’t the cause or the nursing home lied. Either way, he died alone, because we were too dangerous to let on the grounds. I never went 30 days without seeing him in 52 years, until now. If I actually thought he died of of Covid...
Dear @7:16:
So you are saying that people who are vaccinated (and therefore are IMMUNE to the virus) are still infectious and can spread the virus?? You are beyond stupid.
Dear @7:33,
The reason why people who are vaccinated should still wear masks is that no vaccine is 100% effective. Therefore, everyone should continue to wear masks since a small percent will still be vulnerable and thus could catch and spread the virus. The Covid vaccine trials showed 94% were immunized (which is excellent...the flu vaccine is only ~50-70%).
100% agree with this Doc and appreciate that some in the medical community are still using thier noggin.
This article politicizes everything.
There's some stupid going on here but it isn't 7:16. You need to do some studying dummy. There are no studies that prove either vaccine prevent the spread of covid. Ignorant, aren't you.
@8:24
So very sorry for the loss of your father.
See.you.in.courtS.
I thought CDC might institute a rule about taking an antibody titer before administering the vaccine. If you have positive antibodies, you don't need the vaccine. Save that dose for the next patient.
@5:06, AOC refused to be among the first to receive the vaccine, because she thought that was unfair to others.
The author responds: Thanks to those who thoughtfully responded to the post. Some of you have challenged my credentials and asserted I am a "quack." Those comments do not address the issues raised in this posting. There are many reasons to remain anonymous. Could it be that the institution that employs me does not to put a contact at risk by challenging the existing powers?
The posting is not an "attack" on the Governor nor is it an "attack" on Dr. Dobbs. The use of the word "trans" was taken directly from the way the scientist who developed the algorithm at CDC describes himself/herself on their Twitter feed. You can find him/her on Twitter at @Jo_Walker_ATL.
Instead of attacking the messenger, address the topic. Does the Mississippi priority list work best to diminish death in the state? Or will it needlessly prolong it? Why do the English and the Canadians have a different plan? Are their plans going to result n fewer deaths? Mississippi can still change its plan. And that was (and is) the reason for the posting.
The 72 year old physician is also missing the point. If the 70+ population was vaccinated first, he would not have to worry about acquiring it from an unvaccinated healthcare worker.
Here is another way of looking at the issue. Say we have a new virus (XYZ). It preferentially attacks and kills the young. Say that 98% of the deaths happen in the 0-20 year old age group. (98% of the deaths in Mississippi with COVID are in people over age 40. Look at the stats).
So with the outbreak of XYZ virus, the state plan is to immunize healthcare workers (regardless of age) and "essential workers," regardless of age, before administering the vaccine to the children who are at risk of death. I hope you would challenge that set of priorities to save the lives of the children at risk.
Why should we not adopt the plan the English have for Great Britain?
For some of the clueless on here: You have morons like Farrakhan telling his followers to not get vaccinated because the vaccine is "toxic waste". The media makes headline whenever someone has a bad reaction to the vaccine. About 50% of our people are afraid to take the vaccine.
We will never get this pandemic under control until a majority of the population has immunity either by having the virus or being adequately vaccinated. One of the main reasons why the higher profile political and medical leaders are making a big deal showing themselves getting vaccinated is to try to prove to the masses that the vaccine is safe and therefore encourage others to follow their example..
@4:07AM: In a perfect world you could check titers 1st. But checking titers would add incredible expense and cause so much delay that you could not do mass vaccinations. I don't think there is even a Covid titer blood test that can be done on-site, so a person would have to come in for a blood draw and then come back days later for their shot, etc.
To the author of this, thanks for your insight into the handling of the vaccinations. I believe your common sense approach is the most logical step. I'm not sure that our governor will head the advice but he should...anyway thanks again, E.S.
I give up. Sure, "Doc," we could just vaccinate the elderly first. But since it's NOT just killing the elderly, and it's NOT just the elderly needing hospital care, using resources, we don't.
It's NOT just the elderly affected, severely, by the pandemic.
There is an economy.
And, if our economy shuts down with chicken and beef plants completely closed down, with fuel distribution systems shut down, etc etc, not only the elderly will suffer greatly. As much as I am a pro mask, pro vaccine guy, your leaving that out is plumb asinine.
There's no common sense portion on the MCAT. Or the LSAT. And, sometimes it shows.
And, yep, medicine suffers when we have lawyers similarly focused who insist that any new medicine with an adverse outcome of 1 in 200 million is nothing but a cash cow for "bad pharma suits." The flip side of "reducing mortality."
How about griping about mask production failures, failure to use NDA for PPE, antivaxxer docs and groups undermining the program?
How about some brave truth about how the vaccine program is wrapped up in racially based "justice" notions? No mention, but it's there in plain view. Some say for good reason.
"Do NO harm" is a great ethos. But, remember, "Doc," the perfect is the enemy of the good.
9:08 hit that nail right on the head. "Doc" has lost sight of the forest for the trees.
If this "doctor" won't even put his name on this opinion piece, why should i pay it any attention?
Forget the column itself for a second. Step back and look at what is happening today. Just today, a doctor in California was fired because he dared to disagree with keeping schools closed. Legit docs have been shut down on social media for questioning the Covid-19 protocols or policies. Say the wrong thing and here comes the twit mob. You should see them on Facebook when one of them spots something he or she don't like. They all scream "let's get 'em." Its turned into sport. It used to be the corporations would protect their employees. Not anymore. Say the wrong thing and boom, you don't just lose your job, your life is ruined. The twitmob goes after every employer you will work for and try to make you starve to death. It's the world we live in today. A very disagreeable world.
So when credible people want to post an anonymous opinion, I'm going to allow it sometimes.
Now, several of you are taking issue with what he wrote and disagreeing with it quite well. That is what a debate is and such is encouraged here. He is raising reasonable questions and y'all are posting some reasonable rebuttals.
Hypocrites, nothing but hypocrites, every damn one that came on this board to attack this man because he didn't want his name exposed, but they posted anonymously. Damn hypocrites. Two faced liberals with sanctimonious self-righteous attitudes that want to claim the moral high ground. What a joke they are.
I am laughing so hard at the anonymous comment or at 7:28 that says an anonymous doc should be listened to....
Pot meet kettle!!! Hahahah. I needed that laugh today!!!
As I read the Pfizer vaccine info, while it does a marvelous job at preventing the EFFECTS (illness) from the virus, it does not prevent the recipient from getting the virus. After vaccination, you might get it, but there's a 96%-98% chance you will not get sick from it. Also as I read it, the Moderna vaccine offers the same protection from the illness, but ALSO provides 60% protection of getting the virus at all.
Can't we just agree to disagree and move on? 2020 has been one helluva year!
Dear 8:25
Your understanding is flawed.
1) the vaccine is not 100% effective.
2) even if you are immune, you can touch a surface with your hands, collect virii, and touch someone or something, thereby spreading the virus.
Question: how many that read this are still washing their hands with soap for 20 seconds five to ten times per day?
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