Column: There were no vaccines when COVID-19 took my wife from me. Now there are

I don’t understand people who refuse to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

Do some of the vaccinated, even those with the booster, get COVID? Absolutely. We are seeing more and more of such cases daily, but that is no excuse for not getting vaccinated yourself. You can save lives such as your spouse, children and other relatives and friends.

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Prior to the availability of vaccines, my wife and I took every known precaution to avoid the virus. Somehow, we contracted it from someone in August 2020. My wife died within days. So am I passionate about getting vaccinated? You betcha. I know firsthand how deadly the virus is.

Do I understand a refusal to take the vaccine for religious or medical reasons? Not really, but I will accept them if legitimate.

For the rest of you who refuse to get vaccinated, do you truly not care about your fellow man and woman? It may not be a big deal to you whether you contract the virus, but without masking you can pass it on to others. Some of them will likely die. Most recent cases of those who have been hospitalized or have died have been from the unvaccinated. How many did they infect before getting emergency care?

Three retired Bloomington physicians, backed in writing by 25 other physicians, recently sent a letter to hundreds of people, thanking those who have been vaccinated and urging the others to help “stop the spread.” They quoted an IU Health Bloomington emergency medicine doctor who wrote on Facebook in August, “I’m telling you the vaccine is worth it. Are there adverse reactions? Of course. No treatment is perfect. But serious vaccine reactions are rare, serious COVID complications are not. The vaccines are very, very safe. And COVID is really, really bad. And I’m tired. I’m tired of putting people in the hospital, knowing they might not walk out.”

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That statement was written four months ago. Look at what is happening now. Physicians, nurses and other staff at hospitals are worn out. Elective surgeries have been canceled at some hospitals. The U.S. Navy is sending medical personnel to IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis because of a strain on the hospital system.

To the unvaccinated, PLEASE change your mindset and get vaccinated for your sake and that of others. If you choose not to, I’ll continue to not understand.

Ken Beckley is a retired broadcast journalist and a concerned Bloomington resident.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Ken Beckley, who lost wife to COVID, doesn't understand anti-vaxxers