Fed-up doctor tells anti-vaxxers they're on their own

[left-of-center2012]

An Alabama doctor is tired of helping people who refuse to protect themselves and others — so he’s no longer taking appointments with anti-vaxxers. Mobile, Ala., physician Dr. Jason Valentine posted a photo on Facebook in which he’s seen standing in front of a sign that reads “Effective Oct. 1, 2021, Dr. Valentine will no longer see patients that are not vaccinated against COVID-19.”

Alabama is one of several southern states that has struggled to contain the pandemic, due in part to vaccine skepticism. Valentine doesn’t appear to be picking on the ignorant so much as he doesn’t want to watch them hack, gasp and cough themselves to death after finally coming to appreciate the wonders of modern medicine once it’s too late.

“If they asked why, I told them covid is a miserable way to die and I can’t watch them die like that,” he wrote. “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,” that letter reportedly says. “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.”

Valentine plans to send a letter to his patients telling them that if they object to his position,
he will happily forward their medical records to a practitioner of their choosing.

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-doctor-stops-seeing-anti-vaxxers-vaccination-covid-20210817-lewvzechabfbzje3e7vvj42zdu-story.html

[SoCalDavidS]

1. BRAVO!! nt

[TheBlackAdder]

41. Good. He loses anti-vaxxers and gains vaccinated people who want to leave their anti-vaxxer doctors.

[OnDoutside]

2. At least he's giving them an option.

[Pinback]

12. And plenty of lead time to get vaxxed before 10/21. (nt)

[OnDoutside]

15. Yes, they can whinge all they want, he's being more than fair.

[calimary]

24. And advance notice.

I think if I were a doctor, I’d probably make a move like this, too.

We are awash in people who literally refuse to do the right thing for their own good.

[Raftergirl]

3. I hope other doctors follow suit.

These people don’t deserve to be treated by physicians.

[Lucky Luciano]

37. They should treat themselves by using the comments section.

[Goonch]

4. ;-{)

[Highway61]

5. YES!

EOM...

[liberalla]

6. K&R Good for him! I definitely support his decision.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. The country is being held hostage by these bratty, petulant, political whiners

Wonder where they learned that from! Because it's all the same, narcissistic gaslighters looking to overturn reality to please their own whims and pocketbooks.

[Ms. Toad]

8. Good for him.

It also makes his office considerably safer for his other patients.

[flor-de-jasmim]

11. as well as for himself and his staff

[Ms. Toad]

13. Yup. n/t

[roamer65]

9. Good for him.

[dalton99a]

10. Good. Let them choose someone else that believes their bullshit

[yonder]

14. IMO, this should be the standard not the exception

[BlancheSplanchnik]

59. I agree. Definitely.

[StarryNite]

16. Apples and oranges...

"Those who didn’t agree with Valentine’s new policy wondered if he’d continue to treat smokers who have cancer or diabetics, who don’t live healthily. Valentine told his Facebook followers his mandate wouldn’t include people who are ineligible for vaccinations, like children."


Smoking, cancer, and diabetes are not contagious.

Why would anti-vaxxers go to a doctor when they don't trust doctors or science? I wish more doctors would take this doctor's position.

[Me.]

17. Hope It's A Trend

[Sinistrous]

18. While I fully agree with Dr. Valentine's position,

doesn't this put at risk his license to practice medicine?

[dalton99a]

21. Not at all.

[lagomorph777]

23. Doctors fire patients all the time.

There's no license risk that I'm aware of.

[Captain Zero]

43. Right. Patients can be dismissed from a practice.

For a variety of reasons.
1. Not following doctor's directions.

[littlemissmartypants]

25. Nope. Not even close. Good question though. ❤

[The Unmitigated Gall]

26. Not necessarily...

An existing patient would need to be provided with referrals; doctors have a right to sever relations with patients, but you can’t “abandon” them. You can set terms for starting with a new patient because you have not yet formally assumed the role of provider.

[Horse with no Name]

28. Nope

He gave them notice. All that is required

[Roc2020]

19. I guess the saying 'mule kick to the head'

is one many have to experience before getting the vaccine. problem is there may not be any recovery from the first kick.

[malaise]

20. Great move Doc

As yuo make your bed so shall you die

[littlemissmartypants]

22. I love this righteous doctor. I hope he has a long, happy life!

[LaMouffette]

27. I applaud this doctor's refusal to treat the unvaxxed-by-choice, but I fear for his safety.

The crazies on the right are worked up into to a frenzy and they love nothing better than having an actual, identifiable target to lash out at, whether it's Nancy Pelosi, President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Dr. Fauci, Governor Whitmer of Michigan . . .

I hope he hires personal security guards.

[Ilsa]

57. Who would have thought internal medicine clinics would need

protection as if they were Planned Parenthood clinics?

[LaMouffette]

62. I know! I can't believe it's come to this.

[Initech]

29. I'm with him! It's time to stop playing nice with these assholes!

[RockRaven]

30. I know pediatricians who do the same regarding childhood vaccinations, so this guy won't be

the only doctor to do this, not by a long shot. His location maybe makes it more remarkable though...

[dalton99a]

38. +1. Half of pediatricians have a dismissal policy

This study among US pediatricians showed that the practice of dismissing families who refuse vaccines for their children was common, with half of pediatricians reporting their office has a dismissal policy

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2770611

[FakeNoose]

31. Smart move - I hope more doctors do the same

It's not a question of politics. He can't waste valuable time arguing with patients that are too stupid to listen. Why should he take the chance of unvaccinated people infecting his other patients and office staff?

[samnsara]

32. i bet he gets LOTS more pts than he loses

[Warpy]

33. Covid deniers and antivaxers. I'm sure a lot of other health professionals feel the same way

but don't have that kind of autonomy.

It would be great if someone gets belligerent over the Covid diagnosis because Pox News said it was a hoax if they could say, "OK, you don't have it, there's the door, go home and die in ignorance," but they can't. The job isn't to fix stupid, it's to allow stupid to escape some of the consequences.

That's one reason everybody is getting burned out. They're overwhelmed with it.

[Martin Eden]

34. More doctors should do this!!!

Might change a few minds and save a few lives.

[lindysalsagal]

35. AMA should make more noise about this.

[bucolic_frolic]

36. Hippocratic Oath

Basically he is leaving palliative care to other physicians, which I think is the best way to cover himself legally. The man is frustrated, I'm sure it does take a psychological toll.

[Zorro]

39. He'll probably have his office vandalized because of this

That's how anti-vaxxers/anti-maskers roll.

[Lonestarblue]

40. A lot of pediatricians refuse to take patients who are not vaccinated.

They don’t want the unvaccinated to spread diseases like measles to the rest of their small patients. Once the Covid vaccine are approved for all children, I hope pediatricians also refuse to treat the unvaccinated and schools refuse to allow unvaccinated to attend. They should be doing that now for those 12+. Requirements for children to be vaccinated before attending school are decades old. Covid should be treated the same.

[MoonRiver]

42. Turn this into a national movement!

[Mr.Bill]

44. I can't say I blame him

but it's not good news for the Emergency Rooms in his area where his patients may go instead. By law, they can't refuse to see the patients. I guess some of them may just find another doctor who will see them.

[sarge43]

45. Good for him. I hope more doctors join him

Why should he put himself, his staff and his family at risk because of some mouth breathers.

[MustLoveBeagles]

46. Good for him

[Demobrat]

47. His practice. His choice.

Anti-vaxxers would probably deny they had Covid and accuse him of malpractice anyway.

[blueinredohio]

48. That's the kind of doctor I would gladly go to.

Good for him.

[MetalMama]

49. Bravo! nt

[NH Ethylene]

50. I don't think doctors should cherry pick their patients.

Which of these would be okay with you? And if one is okay, why can't doctors select for the others as well?

* Vaccinated people only
* No homeless people
* Nonsmokers only
* Heterosexuals only
* No criminals
* Whites only
* No transgender people
* Citizens only
* No Democrats

[BoycottTimHortons]

52. This is the textbook definition of a strawman

Unvaccinated people are a literal threat to public health. This is not about letting your political beliefs or bigotry interfere with your job. What a disgustingly disingenuous argument.

[Demobrat]

53. I think it's okay to refuse to treat any condition on that list

that is contagious.

[NH Ethylene]

56. Fair enough.

And there really isn't a situation that directly compares to this. HIV possibly, since medical personnel could be infected from a patient via an accidental needle prick.

The people who opt out of Covid vaccines may be misguided, confused, suffering from paranoia, under the spell of a cult-like movement, or just stupid and gullible. Or maybe they are filled with hate and rage toward "The Libs." But they are still human beings and they don't deserve to be deprived of medical treatment because of it.

Saying that they may be transmitting the virus is true to some extent - although those of us who are vaccinated could be doing exactly the same right now without even knowing it - but physicians and nurses and EMTs are expected to tend to those who are contagious with any and all diseases.

Really the only reason this doctor is doing this is to make a point and to weed out all but the 'good' patients. It's a form of snobbery to exclude the ignorant, the paranoid, the brainwashed and the willfully stubborn from your medical practice.

[gulliver]

51. Can't have these anti-vax folks in waiting rooms giving covid to his patients either.

His waiting room and other rooms instantly become safer. And, after all, he's a doctor. The people who go to see him are likely more vulnerable than other people, by definition. Pharmacies should be like this too. Weak and vulnerable people shouldn't have to stand in line at a pharmacy behind a coughing anti-vax fool. The vax lax can go to the drive-up window.

[marble falls]

54. Whatever it takes to get people vaxxed.

[Ferrets are Cool]

55. I didn't think there was anyone in my hometown this brave

but people surprise me all the time.

[genxlib]

58. Safe bet

This is one waiting room that doesn’t run Fox News all the time.

I wholeheartedly approve.

[Vinca]

60. Those who refuse to get vaccinated and protect themselves and others should be

isolated from normal life. They've had (and have) every opportunity to get a FREE vaccine that could SAVE THEIR LIVES. They've been coddled, cajoled, bribed and even shamed, but appear willing to die a horrible death for whatever the hell their cause is. Now it's time to limit their access to services they want . . . for OUR safety.

[TxGuitar]

61. Makes me think of Capt Kirk in STVI