Vaccine Exemption Letters
In 35 years as a primary care physician, I’ve been asked by patients to write many letters: work excuse letters, school excuse letters, speeding ticket excuse letters, can’t go on vacation excuse letters. Some are questionable and I have to walk a fine line between upsetting the patient and telling the truth. I’ve even written letters to help patients keep their pet/support animals against condo rules. But when I am asked to write letters exempting patients from the covid vaccine, I am serious. I am serious when I tell patients no, and serious when I tell patients yes, which is more common nowadays.
Soon after the vaccines became available, Fat Tony asked me for a medical exemption. He said he didn’t want a blood clot. Tony is 60 years old, obese and diabetic. I told him that the only note I would write is one that says he is the exact person that should get vaccinated.
On the other hand, I was recently asked by 2 students (an undergraduate and a law student) for exemptions from the booster shot. Both the students had the initial 2 shots AND covid infection within the past month. Both schools mandated booster shots by the end of January. I was happy to write letters asking for these students to be exempted.
First off, it’s questionable whether a third shot gives much additional benefit to healthy young people. Secondly, with the advent of Omicron, we have seen that vaccination does not prevent community spread. On top of that, these students had recent infection, further boosting their immunity. Even the CDC concluded, “multiple studies in different settings have consistently shown that infection with SARS-CoV-2 and vaccination each result in a low risk of subsequent infection with antigenically similar variants for at least 6 months.”
The only reason to give them a shot now is to satisfy a rule. Although it is possible a booster shot may give some marginal advantage, a school should make sure a medical intervention is critical before forcing it.
With all these letters, the best route is always phrase them as “The patients states that . . .” or “the patient feels that . . .”
And charge the patient an appropriate fee for the letter.
I will write every single damn excuse letter asked of me. This “vaccine” is untested and unvetted and capable of great harm. In my opinion, it is immoral to argue in favor of it.
A year ago I might have been hesitant – now I’m 100% on-board with you. The HUGE push to force this on people (especially kids) has ignored the risk:benefit ratio, especially given this vaccine’s non-traditional mechanism, it’s inability to prevent infection or transmission, and the potential for adverse reactions.