Linda Marraccini, a Florida family physician, has written her patients an announcement letter alerting them of the unvaccinated people’s inability to participate in individual physical consultations as a result of the approval of the Pfizer vaccination for broad usage by the Food and Drug Administration.
“This is a public health emergency — the health of the public takes priority over the rights of any given individual in this situation. It appears that there is a lack of selflessness and concern for the burden on the health and well-being of our society from our encounters,” reads the letter.
While critics have protested, invoking a violation of the Hippocratic oath, Dr. Marraccini has reminded them that the latest modern version of the oath places emphasis on prevention even more compared to curing a disease:
“I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure…I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body, as well as the infirm.”
This decision was made as the state of Florida has declared a public health emergency as the number of patients diagnosed with the potentially fatal disease, influenza variant COVID-19, continues to rise. The 7-day rolling average for new cases is the second-highest of any state in the country.
Moreover, Marraccini would not be the first physician to deny care to patients who do not have the COVID-19 vaccine. Last month, in a Facebook post since removed, Alabama physicist Jason Valentine stated that he wouldn’t see anybody unvaccinated after October 1.
In Florida, however, there new legislation that prohibits the commercial, government, or educational institutions to require individuals to confirm their immunization status, and it was signed back in May by Governor Ron DeSantis. It is uncertain whether the legislation extends to the practice of medicine of Marraccini.
