Warning — I am really pissed off.

Joe Paduda

We are very close to several clinicians that work in medical facilities. They are overwhelmed with COVID patients — almost all of whom are unvaccinated. It is devastating to talk with these medical professionals, to hear their pain and immense frustration and anger and fear.

There are no more beds in the Pediatric ICU, no more ecmo machines available for anyone — covid patients or not. Many procedures are being postponed indefinitely because unvaccinated COVID patients are occupying all the beds, Unvaccinated COVID patients are sucking up all the care, all the energy, all the will and desire and expertise and passion and patience and resilience.

All because many Americans allow themselves to be duped into believing somehow COVID isn’t a problem, that kids won’t be affected, that vaccinations are dangerous, that bullshit from right wing pundits is more believable than facts from scientists or pleas from physicians.

And this is just one hospital, albeit a very big one that serves a very large area. Hospital beds in eastern Washington are full to beyond capacity because idiots in Idaho aren’t vaccinated. Hospitals in Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, and many other states are also overwhelmed, all because total assholes who know better are lying to people.

Hospitals in several states are doing battle triage — meaning if you are in a horrendous car accident, have a stroke or an embolism or fall off a ladder, if your baby falls in a pool or your mother falls down the stairs you/them are gonna die because the facilities and doctors you need are too busy caring for fucking idiots who refused to get vaccinated and are now dying of COVID.

This isn’t a short-term problem.

Nurses doctors and other staff are running away from patient care because they cannot stomach treating yet another idiot for a dangerous disease because they were too lazy, too willfully ignorant, too willing to listen to some asshole on Facebook and not believe science, facts, nurses, doctors.

This is deeply personal for many. If your baby has a respiratory problem, good luck finding a facility with room and time and facilities needed to care for your baby — they are full with kids who got infected because assholes refused to get vaccinated.  Same thing with ICUs and CCUs, cath labs and operating rooms.

Republicans in many states are trying to pass laws allowing people to not get vaccinated, to not wear masks, in the name of “freedom.” I am done being politically correct when describing these pandering assholes.

They are the real baby-killers.

Through their willful ignorance, their calculating refusal to serve the people that elected them because they want more votes, their shameless pandering, more babies will die. more kids will be infected, more grandparents will be lost, more hospitals will close, more doctors and nurses will abandon their work.

The rightwing conspiracy-fomenting media decries the lack of “science” behind vaccinations, while touting a goddamn horse pill. These assholes recommend breathing in bleach – an incredibly stupid and dangerous idea with NO basis in science.

Personal freedom my ass.

We conquered polio, measles, chicken pox, small pox, mumps, diphtheria and countless other diseases by vaccinating people. You have had many vaccinations, and you are doing just fine.

If you don’t want a vaccine, fine.

You don’t get healthcare when you get COVID.

So goddamn confident in your beliefs and so committed to your “personal choice?” Fine.

You won’t need healthcare, and neither will your kids, mom, or grandparents, so the rest of us can get our heart bypasses, kidney transplants, cancer treatment, hip replacements, and emergency surgery.

Don’t be a goddamn hypocrite. Either get vaccinated and wear a mask, or stay the hell away from the rest of us, take your ivermectin, breathe in bleach, and bury your relatives by yourself.

Oh, and tell the mom with the sick baby who can’t find a Pediatric ICU bed that your personal freedom to be a complete idiot is more important than her baby’s life.

And I don’t want to hear any bullshit from COVID deniers and vaccine opponents. I am done trying to be polite, to explain, to use reason and facts and logic.

Joseph Paduda is co-owner of CompPharma, a consulting firm focused on improving pharmacy programs in workers’ compensation. This column is republished with his permission from his Managed Care Matters blog.