Editor:
In your recently published article about the 840 new cases of COVID-19 in Humboldt County (“Public Health Confirms 840 New COVID-19 Cases, Three Hospitalizations,” posted online Jan. 18), you linked to an article written by Calmatters and published by the North Coast Journal and other California newspapers on Jan. 8 called “Unboosted: California COVID-19 Booster Rate Falls Below 40% in Most Counties.” In my opinion, this article is highly offensive and you should not have linked to it. In my opinion, the North Coast Journal should avoid using the term “Unboosted” because it is offensive. This is why:
As an unvaccinated person, I have endured over a year of harassment by Humboldt County’s local news media. The harassment came in the form of articles and political cartoons calling me a monster, insinuating I did not believe in science, insinuating I believed the Earth was flat, calling my boyfriend a wimp because he was unvaccinated, and a political cartoon likely directed at me personally portraying unvaccinated people as overweight men who also believe cell phone towers are dangerous, genetically modified food is dangerous and water fluoridation is dangerous, among other things.
As a victim of said nasty smear campaign against Humboldt County’s unvaccinated citizens, I was absolutely appalled when I woke up in the morning and read the North Coast Journal as I do every morning, and I saw the “unboosted” article. The “unboosted” article is highly offensive because it appears to be the beginning of a similar smear campaign being launched against the fully vaccinated, who are now going to be labeled “the unboosted” and grouped in with the formerly hated “unvaccinated.”
I feel truly sorry for anyone who thought they were doing their part by protecting themselves or others, who got “fully vaccinated” with a vaccine that now no longer works, who is now being told they will need a third dose, who woke up in the morning and read the “unboosted” article like I did. To them, that must’ve seemed like a metaphorical “slap in the face.” I prefer the term “bait and switch.”
The North Coast Journal should apologize for publishing the “unboosted” article, stop linking to it, and stop using the term “unboosted.”
Adrienne Floreen, McKinleyville
Editor’s note: Contrary to this letter writer’s assertion, data continues to show COVID-19 vaccines remain effective at preventing severe illness and death, especially among those who have been both fully vaccinated and received a third “booster” dose, as the referenced CalMatters article reports.
This article appears in Introducing Cal Poly Humboldt.
Thank you for printing my letter to the editor, but I did not give you permission to change the title of my letter. The title of my letter to the editor was “Unboosted is an offensive term,” it was not “As A Victim.” Please correct this, you make it seem like the point of my letter is that I am a whiny victim, not that I am offended by your use of an offensive term.
Its too bad people failed to see the value in following science and chose to resist vaccination and/or boosters. I not only thought, but I know that by being vaccinated and later boosted I DID protect myself and those around me. Its not harassment, its shaming. Unless you follow guidance from the medical community and believe in science, you are endangering myself and those I love. Shame on you. Unless you have a medical reason, based upon SCIENCE, that is When you become infected, know that those who choose to be vaccinated will not be as likely to become infected. Know we will not suffer as severely as you will. Do you not remember or know anything about the polio epidemic? My grandmother and others died at a young age during the 1913 Spanish flu epidemic. All victims would LEAP at the opportunities afforded us today through the knowledge of modern medicine and current vaccines. Do you not protect your own children with the MM&R vaccines? You sound like you havent got time for the shame. Why not take time to avoid the pain? Consider where you get your information, and make informed decisions about your life.
What you fail to understand is that the mRNA you were injected with is potentially not destroyed by your cell but stored, and even the scientists who created the mRNA vaccines don’t understand the biological mechanisms that make them work of the biological mechanism that makes a cell decide which mRNA to store or destroy. I’ll write another letter to the NCJ, if I have to, explaining “SCIENCE.”
If you write a letter to explain science please cite sources. Let us know what medical journals, scientific studies you use to make you conclusions.
Anyone can say “science says” but it needs to be backed up with actual findings by real scientists.
Thank you
I think you need to face the reality that you are in fact acting like a whiny, self-proclaimed victim. Whining about an accurate, neutral, descriptive term (unboosted), whining about the title of your letter when it is your own damn words (title up to the editors, always).., whining that the news doesn’t validate your decision not to take advantage of a safe and effective vaccine. The editors got it right, I’m afraid.
Almost none of us are experts in public health, immunology, vaccines… So this all comes down to choosing what sources of information to trust and believe. Sketchy youtube and facebook videos about the scary RNA vaccines? Or actual expert scientific consensus as promoted through CDC, FDA, WHO, public health institutions all over the world. plus we now have real-world evidence – the vaccines have been taken safely by literally billions of people, and have been shown over and over to greatly reduce your chance of severe illness and death. If everyone would get them the pandemic would get much better and many lives would be saved.
It’s public health in a deadly global pandemic, can we please listen to the expert consensus, or even just your own doctor?
You are making a choice to disbelieve the overwhelming evidence and worldwide scientific expert consensus. Your decision increases the risk to yourself and everyone close to you, and contributes to enormous pressure on our health care workers. All during a global pandemic that has killed at least 900,000 Americans and is going strong. Please try not to complain when factual news stories contradict your delusional fantasy, and when your fellow community members disagree with you.
Daniel Berman, you said it much better than I. Google the letter writer’s name and the results will reveal who we are responding to. For her to redeem herself at this point in life is akin to attempting to board a ship that set sail much too long ago….