’Get over it’ is never what you tell someone who has a concern.”
That was Louisiana State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter’s response to comments White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci made to MSNBC Wednesday.
Fauci was commenting on the politicization of the pandemic.
“This is not complicated. We’re not asking anybody to make any political statement one way or another. We’re saying: try and save your life, and that of your family, and that of the community,” Fauci told MSNBC. “Here we have a vaccine that’s highly, highly effective in preventing disease and certainly, in preventing severe disease and hospitalization. It’s easy to get, it’s free, and it’s readily available.”
“Get over this political statement. Just get over it and try to save the lives of yourself and your family,”
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When asked for his response on The Newell Normand Show, Kanter lamented how the pandemic has been treated by politicians on both sides.
“[The pandemic] has been politicized on a number of angles, and always to the detriment of public health because health should never be politicized,” Kanter said. “And that’s on top of a very fast-moving, confusing, unprecedented pandemic where there’s more questions than answers.”
Kanter said politics have no place in an individual’s decision whether or not to get vaccinated.
“In terms of the vaccine itself, Trump did not make this vaccine. Biden did not make this vaccine,” Kanter said. “Scientists, and a lot of scientists, made this vaccine. So I think people should step back and take stock of that if they can.”
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Kanter also said he disagrees with any doctor who would dismiss a patient’s hesitancy to get the vaccination without providing the facts.
“People either have had access to misinformation or personal anecdotes that concern them or questions or doubts,” Kanter said. “Whatever it is, it’s an important issue to that person. And you don’t make anyone feel comfortable about getting over their concerns or reservations by just telling them to get over it. You make them comfortable by honoring whatever concern they have and trying to get more information to them,” explained Louisiana’s top doc.
“Hearing people out… that’s how you really make progress.”
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