VAX: Follow Ireland’s lead

It seems that vaccinations have become a political issue, which is so ignorant! I am a Republican and will vote Republican in the future, and my husband and I are vaccinated.

I am distressed that the Republican Party has become associated with anti-vax issues. I am not in favor of mandating vaccinations; however, I think people should look at the facts and voluntarily be vaccinated.

Yes, we don’t know for sure what the long-term effects are of the vaccine, but there are certainly long-term effects from seriously ill COVID patients, and young people are dying.

Yes, vaccinated people can still get COVID, but the chances are significantly less, and the effects are milder.

Look at the statistics from Ireland: Ireland has a very high rate of vaccination. And delta variant.

According to the COVID tracker app, in Ireland there were recently 1,571 cases of COVID, and no deaths. There were 27 recent admissions to hospital and 41 discharges from hospital. Five admissions to ICU and nine discharges. This is an entire country; our state has many more than that, and people are dying.

So basically, because of the high rate of vaccination, people are still catching COVID, but very few are sick enough to need hospital or ICU and no one is dying. And the numbers requiring medical attention are dropping all the time. With more people vaccinated, all those numbers will drop further.

Get vaccinated and protect yourself; your children; your friends and your community!

DIANA SMITHEMAN

Hayden