Letters to the Editor: Of course the unvaccinated deserve care when they get sick

Los Angeles Times Opinion
·1 min read
1
Colton, CA - December 23: Coronavirus patients coming in emergency are housed in a makeshift ER unit established in a tent at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020 in Colton, CA. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Healthcare workers at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton treat a COVID-19 patient. (Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: I have a simple response to the letter writer who wondered why unvaccinated people seek medical treatment when they get COVID-19.

Why do smokers go to hospitals when they get cancer? Why do obese people go to hospitals when they have a heart attack? Why do drug users go the hospital when they overdose?

The simple answer is because when people get sick they see a doctor. Generally, all of the above cases involve poor health decisions, but does that mean the people do not deserve care?

People need to stop with the cold-heartedness that is plaguing the country right now. I am for vaccines and would encourage everyone to get one. However, I would not force people to make a medical decision against their will with a mandate.

David Harte, Brownwood, Texas

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.