Gov. Chris Sununu crowed that the preliminary injunction against the federal vaccine mandate was “a big win.” The governor said the nursing shortage in New Hampshire would be exacerbated if vaccination were a condition of employment in nursing homes and hospitals.
He went on to say this move “helps maintain the staff New Hampshire needs to care for our loved ones.” What? Unvaccinated frontline workers placing patients and other staff at risk for COVID? That’s not the health care I want for myself, an elderly, three-time cancer survivor with an autoimmune disorder, or for those I love. Honestly, do you, governor?
Your recent response to the crisis in hospitals and nursing homes is to bring in “outside nurses.” The cost burden will be staggering. Where are you going to find these skilled frontline staff already in such short supply nationwide? Of note, you’re happy to use federal dollars for this Band-Aid approach while fighting government measures that will end this crippling pandemic. Remember what vaccines did to eradicate smallpox? Measles? Polio? This is not about pandering to the right. It’s about saving lives and restoring our economy. Suspending the mask mandate early, failing to test and trace and a lukewarm endorsement of vaccines, masking and social distancing have contributed to the highest number of COVID cases in New England.
Glossy photo ops, slick television ads and weekly news “conferences” aren’t the answer. True leadership is a full-time responsibility. Sometimes it makes one unpopular. But it’s your job.
Eleanor Cochrane
Hancock