Florida Doctor to Refuse in-Person Treatment for Patients Who Are Not Vaccinated

A doctor from South Florida said she would refuse to treat patients who were unvaccinated against COVID-19. Linda Marraccini announced her decision by sending letters to her patients.

The Florida doctor informed them that unvaccinated patients would no longer be allowed to book in-person appointments at her practice since the Pfizer vaccine was fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"This is a public health emergency - the health of the public takes priority over the rights of any given individual in this situation," Marraccini said in the letter.

Florida Doctor Says Unvaccinated Patients Will not be Treated

The Florida doctor said she has other patients, who are immunocompromised or in chemotherapy, adding that she does not want to expose them to the virus in her clinic, Business Insider reported.

"We will no longer subject our patients and staff to unnecessary risk," Marraccini underscored.

The Florida doctor noted that the new policy in her clinic would take effect by September 15. Despite her announcement she will no longer provide in-person treatments to her unvaccinated patients, the Florida doctor said she would not leave her unvaccinated patients "in the cold."

Marraccini noted that she would continue to see the said patients through virtual meetings. The Florida doctor also said she would make an exception for patients who cannot get the COVID-19 vaccine for health reasons.

After receiving backlash from her decision, the Florida doctor defended her decision, saying it does not defy or violate the Hippocratic Oath that centers on treating any ill patient to the best of the doctor's ability.

According to a modern version of the said oath, doctors pledge that they shall "prevent disease" whenever they can, "for prevention is preferable to cure."

"The Hippocratic Oath is very science-based. I am following the science. I'm applying to the benefits of the sick," Marraccini said.

The decision of the Florida doctor also came as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in May signed a new law that prevents businesses, government, and educational entities from requiring people to prove their COVID-19 vaccination status.

Marraccini noted that it was "infuriating" for doctors like her to see children suffer as DeSantis rejects protection from the virus, such as masks and vaccinations.

According to a vaccine racker from The New York Times, about 54 percent of Florida's population were recorded to be fully vaccinated. John Hopkins University's latest data showed that more than 46,000 individuals from the state die due to COVID-19.

Alabama Doctor Says He Won't Treat Unvaccinated Patients

Marraccini was not the first doctor who refused in-person treatment among unvaccinated patients. In August, Alabama doctor Jason Valentine from Mobile's Diagnostic and Medical Clinic Infirmary Health posted a photo on his social media showing him next to a sign that says the doctor will not see COVID-19 unvaccinated patients effective on October 1.

In a letter Valentine posted on his social media account, the doctor said he "cannot and will not force" anyone to take the vaccine. However, the doctor further noted that he could not continue to watch his patients "suffer and die" from an "eminently preventable disease."

USA Today reported that Valentine's post has since been deleted from his social media account.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Joshua Summers

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