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Little fends off coronavirus criticisms

| September 29, 2021 1:00 AM

Gov. Brad Little should be doing more to combat the coronavirus.

Gov. Little isn’t doing enough.

Gov. Little should be mandating the vaccine.

Gov. Little should stop encouraging people to get the vaccine.

Idaho’s top elected official was often criticized for the state’s response to COVID-19 during an hourlong AARP telephone town hall Tuesday. He was joined by Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen.

“We’re literally doing all we can,” Little said in an opening statement.

While many of the nearly 20 callers expressed doubts about his plans, Little repeated what he has been saying for months: People should do the right thing and get vaccinated. He maintained that the vaccine is safe, effective and has minimal side effects.

“We will continue to beat that drum,” he said.

A woman named Kimberly who called in was upset that she rolled up her sleeve, did her civic duty and got the vaccine. But now, she said, her hip is ailing and she can’t get an operation because the hospital near her home has too many COVID-19 patients.

She said the unvaccinated are “selfish,” “ignorant” and affecting her rights.

“Isn’t that discrimination against me?” she asked.

Little agreed.

“You are the unintended consequence of the unvaccinated,” he said.

He said the coronavirus is doing what viruses do — “they morph.” The delta variant is spreading faster and putting more unvaccinated in hospitals.

“So good people like you can’t get your surgery,” Little said.

“Is it fair? It’s not fair at all and I feel sorry for you," he added.

Another caller, Amy of Idaho Falls, criticized the governor for not mandating the vaccine.

“I feel that by the unvaccinated people filling up hospitals and ICUs, they are infringing on my freedom,” she said.

She questioned what would happened if she had a heart attack but hospitals were full.

“What about my freedom and my choices?” she asked.

Little said she had a valid point, which is why he’s urging people to get vaccinated and offering resources to help hospitals expand capacity.

But he also said, “I don’t know of anybody who has had an incident and hasn’t gotten care.”

Another caller, Elaine, questioned why Little continues to state that the side effects of the vaccine are minimal. She said people have died of it, suffered injuries and other health problems from it. She said he should be talking about the recovery rate of 99% from the coronavirus.

The Associated Press reports that "On average about 98.2% of known COVID-19 patients in the U.S. survive, but each individual’s chance of dying from the virus will vary depending on their age, whether they have an underlying health condition and whether they are vaccinated."

Little said he was vaccinated and did not have any issues. He said many have suffered sore arms, headaches and fatigue, but those short-term ailments are far preferable to the long-term effects of the coronavirus.

He did state that the side effects of the vaccine should have been better outlined early on, as the vaccine was in some ways presented as a “miracle” solution to COVID-19.

He said millions of people who have been vaccinated are being tracked to monitor their health “and if there were negative consequences, that information would be out there.”

But he added that the “negative consequences of getting the COVID vaccine are dwarfed in comparison to the benefits.”

John in Coeur d’Alene said that on a recent visit to Washington state, he felt safe because of the vaccine and mask requirements there.

“Washington is under control and Idaho is not,” he said.

He asked Little if he could be “more proactive" in this area.

Little defended his actions. He said coronavirus incident rates were higher in areas of Washington, Oregon and Montana than in Idaho.

He opposes forcing people to get the vaccine and said “people have to want to do the right thing.”

“Believe me, places where they said there’s going to be a mandate, I think you’ll find it has not been the panacea,” he said.