Vaccine rollout: Beware quick judgment

Re: “How we’re handling the ‘have-shots’ vs. ‘have-nots’ vaccine divide (just guess)” [Feb. 20, Local News]:

I’m a constituent of U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Sammamish, and believe she should not have been singled out as an example in this column. She’s had Type 1 diabetes for almost 40 years and currently is eligible for vaccination either in Phase 2 or 3. So yes, perhaps the “continuity of government action” rationale allowed her to “jump the line,” but she is not without an underlying medical condition.

On her web site, Schrier is open about living with diabetes. Living with T1D is a 24/7 job that requires monitoring of insulin, blood sugar, food intake and exercise. People with T1D often are organized, efficient and resilient because of it, and Schrier is an example of that.

The photo she posted of her receiving her shot encourages people with diabetes who have vaccine hesitancy. As a person living with diabetes and a physician, she works hard and has empathy for people with chronic disease and ongoing struggles with health care system inequities and access. Schrier should be respected, not maligned.

Linnea Mulder, Sammamish