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Editor, The Beacon:

I am increasingly alarmed at the level of refusal to be vaccinated for COVID-19, despite the overwhelming evidence of its effectiveness and minimal side effects. 

Some of it is historical distrust, some ignorance of the truth and, sadly, a lot of which can only be said to be a political choice. The result of these refusals taken together threatens the achievement of herd immunity.

This is so serious that the result could be the indefinite continuation of the pandemic, and a serious threat to health care workers who would be called upon to treat the ones infected for lack of vaccination, and the huge expense involved to save the lives of these, in my opinion, unworthy of treatment.

After all those doses available are done, with no more takers, I propose an ID card signifying your vaccine status as complete. 

If you show up at a hospital without this proof, you should be denied treatment, since you have chosen to possibly die instead of doing what you refuse to do.

Freedom of choice only goes so far, when it threatens the well-being of the vast majority of us who have chosen to do the right thing.

Charles Piligian

DeLand