Jason Valentine, an Alabama–based physician, can no longer watch his patients suffer and die from COVID especially when there are three effective vaccines widely available so, come October 1, he will stop treating patients who haven’t received a COVID vaccine.
Valentine, who works at Northside’s Diagnostic and Medical Clinic in Saraland, Alabama, shared a photo of himself in a since-deleted Facebook post standing by a sign that read: “Effective Oct. 1, 2021, Dr. Valentine will no longer see patients that are not vaccinated against COVID-19.”
“If they asked why, I told them COVID is a miserable way to die and I can’t watch them die like that,” Valentine said according to AL.com.
Valentine also sent a letter to his patients explaining his decision. He posted a copy of the letter online.
“We do not yet have any great treatments for severe disease, but we do have great prevention with vaccines. Unfortunately, many have declined to take the vaccine, and some end up severely ill or dead. I cannot and will not force anyone to take the vaccine, but I also cannot continue to watch my patients suffer and die from an eminently preventable disease,” the letter said, according to AL.com. “Therefore, as of October 1st, 2021, I will no longer see patients that have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. If you wish to keep me as your physician, documentation of your vaccination will suffice. If you wish to choose another physician, we will be happy to transfer your records.”
Since he made the post last week, Valentine said three unvaccinated patients reached out to ask him where they could get the shot.
Alabama is a hotspot as COVID cases surge due to the more transmissible Delta variant. According to the Washington Post, the state has been reporting around 4,000 new cases a day for the past week. The surge in cases has left the ICU without beds for patients with severe COVID complications.
“There were 1,568 patients today who need ICU beds, and there are only 1,557 designated ICU beds in the state today,” Alabama Hospital Association President Don Williamson said. “In the Montgomery area, we have eight more patients who are getting ICU care than we have designated ICU beds here.”
There were 2,723 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including 41 pediatric patients as of Tuesday. The latest number is about 300 short of the state’s peak of 3,084 in January, according to Al.com.
Alabama has the lowest vaccination rate of any state in the country at just 35 percent.
