BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — An open letter from 30 Bartlesville physicians and healthcare professionals to get vaccinated is gaining traction online.
The letter was published on Saturday in the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise and later posted on the Bartlesville Community News Facebook page.
The post was shared over a thousand times by Monday morning. The letter is urging people from all political and social backgrounds to get vaccinated.
"We beg you, regardless of your political affiliation, trust or distrust of government and politicians, to please listen to us, the physicians and professionals who spend our days risking our lives to take care of this community," writes the letter. "Please, PLEASE, sign up and get fully vaccinated for COVID-19."
The letter, signed by providers, doctors and nurses from many corners of the healthcare industry, gives readers a glimpse into the perspective of healthcare workers during the pandemic.
"Some of us were among the first people in the area to become infected with COVID, and most of us were the first to roll up our sleeves and get vaccinated. Some are actually both of those," the letter says. "We have watched with our own eyes as this virus has taken many, many lives."
It says that while each healthcare practitioner may have different backgrounds, beliefs and perspectives, they share at least one thing:
"We are all extremely different human beings who vary in our backgrounds, experiences, and political opinions. We root against each other’s teams at sporting events. We have voted for different candidates and different political parties," writes the letter. "One thing we have in common, however, is frustration and despair about our current COVID-19 vaccination situation."
The letter goes on to call out disinformation posted on social media about the lifesaving, FDA-approved vaccines.
"...we are now currently suffering from massive disinformation. It is heartbreaking to see lies and deception from all sides of the political spectrum costing people their lives, purely to gain more attention for themselves," said the letter.
The letter comes the same weekend OU's Dr. Dale Bratzler took to Facebook with a message of his own, warning of the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases on Friday after the State Department of Health reported 2,328 new cases.
The seven-day rolling average is approaching levels Oklahomans haven't seen since November of 2020. With the start of school not far down the road, Dr. Bratzler is asking people in Green Country to get vaccinated.
"Just as the red tide in the ocean kills many fish, the red tide of Delta variant is going to kill Oklahomans. Looking at the map perhaps I should describe it as more of a red tidal wave now!"
Dr. Bratzler shared maps and graphs along with his message.
To find out how you can get vaccinated, click here.
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