We must keep our children — all of us — safe
To the editor:
What would you do to keep your child safe? Parents already have to worry about school shootings. But this year has been SO hard on everyone. Despite the dangers, parents and students are ready to go back to school!
Is it safe for them to go back? Because of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, the answer is no. Children are getting very sick, all over the country. Forbes Magazine reported this week that record numbers of children are being hospitalized. In Little Rock’s (Ark.) Children’s Hospital, admissions are up 50% from their peak this winter. With a total of 24 kids inpatient, seven in Intensive Care and two on ventilators, the chief clinical officer said it’s the worst he’s ever seen (Forbes Magazine, 7/29/21). Imagine your child, unable to breathe, speak or eat, on a ventilator. A parent’s worst nightmare!
I’m a RN. I want to help keep our kids safe. Here’s how: #1. Get vaccinated if you have not been. You are at risk, too! We’ve seen too many people in ICU begging the docs for a vaccine right before they get intubated, but it’s too late. #2. Get your kids 12 and older vaccinated, for the same reason. #3. Insist that your school follow the CDC guidelines for going back to school. These include requiring everyone who is not fully vaccinated to wear masks, and keeping a 3-foot social distance.
If we do these three things, we can keep ourselves, our children and our communities safe. Are you really ready to risk a child’s life, or to see your child or grandchild in the ICU on a ventilator, or beg your doc for a vaccine right before they stick a breathing tube in you?
Please, take care of yourself and our children, and insist they are safe in school, too. What could be more important?
Isabel Francis, MPA, MSN, RN
Bokeelia