Happy Fall! This month, we take a look back at the history of art in St. Pete. Chat with Patsy Stills of Heart Gallery of Pinellas & Pasco (pg. 9). Explore Benison Farms (pg. 14). Tour the new immersive art experience – Fairgrounds St. Pete (pg. 16). AND gear up for some of the best events of the year (pg. 22). But first, an important message from our good friend and Pediatric ICU physician at All Children’s Hospital, Dr. Farhan Malik:
What is the value of a life? Immeasurable. This is why the simplest, no-cost opportunity for you to make a difference, possibly save a life, comes by getting the COVID vaccination. I cannot stress enough the difference that you can make. Not only will you prevent your own unnecessary severe illness or death, you will prevent someone else’s. Yes, COVID vaccinations reduce your chances of spreading it. There are so many people that don’t have the ability to get the vaccine or have less protection from doses, such as children and the immunocompromised. By protecting yourself you are protecting the countless vulnerable.
As a Pediatric ICU physician, I have seen children pass away from COVID. I have seen other kids suffer complications, such as clots and strokes. Innocent children. Lost and hurt needlessly. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there have been approximately 5,519,000 cases in kids, or 15.7% of all cases. Cases don’t only equal mortality; they also lead to morbidity. There has been a cumulative 480 child (0-20) deaths from COVID since May 2020. Unfortunately, pediatric intensivists have seen this before. Society has silently accepted the hundreds of young lives taken by the flu every year, and the thousands of adult lives. Another disease for which a vaccine exists. This is also a recommendation to get your flu shot this year.
Vaccines don’t cause autism. They don’t microchip you (your phone already does that). They are safe and effective. They are the products of careful, meticulous work that has been built on the foundation of years of science and research. We in America are privileged to have relatively easy access to this free miracle. You can walk into practically any pharmacy, community center, or primary care physician and request a dose. In three to four weeks you will be given your second jab. Boom! You have literally become a life-saver by doing almost nothing.
Our ability to curb community spread of COVID is by raising the community’s vaccination rate and masking where appropriate. I won’t launch into why you should wear a mask indoors around others (you should). The purpose of this piece is to implore those of you resisting the shot. This pandemic has highlighted how interconnected we are, how fractured we are as a community, and how we need to come together and think of others. What is the value of a life? Answer: two shots in the arm.
Sincerely,
Dr. Farhan Malik
DO Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
