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To the Editor,

“You are not a horse; you are not a cow.  Seriously, y’all.  Stop it!” says the Food and Drug Administration.

Why would someone take a livestock dewormer (ivermectin) that has to be taken in huge amounts in a human, and doesn’t even hurt the virus?  Why would someone put themselves in physical harm with a drug with unknown human side effects?  Why would people believe talk show hosts and hucksters over science, particularly when three of those promoters have themselves died of COVID in the last few weeks?  Why would people choose such medical danger over a proven safe and effective vaccine that’s been given to hundreds of millions of people?  I hope that someone can explain it, because it’s certainly a mystery to me.

As you probably know, vaccines have been around for hundreds of years.  General George Washington required that all of his troops be vaccinated against smallpox because he was losing over 90% of his troops to disease.  Vaccines have been required for children to attend school, for us to travel to many countries, and to control many diseases.  Diseases that have been controlled are:  tetanus (I’ll bet most of you have received a tetanus shot in the ED), flu, Hepatitis A and B, rubella, measles, whooping cough, pneumonia, mumps, chickenpox, diphtheria.  Vaccines have eradicated smallpox. The COVID vaccine can save your life, those you love, and members of your community.  I believe that taking the vaccine is a matter of public service.

Just another thought about this livestock dewormer that may not have occurred to you:  someone is getting rich off of this. I believe that one of the answers may be to “follow the money”. There are physicians who are charging $90.00 and up for prescriptions, without even an office visit, and there are also online promotors who, for a fee, will hook you up.  As you pick up this drug, think about who is benefiting.  It’s certainly not you.

Kathy Vasquez

Chocowinity