COVID-19 vaccines: ‘We have a health caste system’

I spent six hours per day for three days online attempting to schedule myself for a COVID-19 vaccine. I searched vaccine sites with my health care provider, as well as the Washington Department of Health, in King and Pierce Counties to no avail. I am a healthy 72-year-old “essential worker” working 25 hours per week. I have Medicare Advantage insurance.

I have been bombarded with news clips of all the important folks being vaccinated ahead of anyone else. Some of these vaccine recipients have been complicit in the expansion of this pandemic through their very vocal support of our recent spreader-in-chief. They have loudly dismissed the severity of this crisis. Yet, they are blatantly first in line for a very limited supply.

We do not have a health care system. We have a health caste system. We will not quickly escape the tragic health and economic effects of this dire situation by only saving the very privileged. We the People have always provided the necessary energy, innovation, and determination to pull our country out of any crisis. Of course, We the People must be healthy to do so.

Paula Joneli, Des Moines