Tampa Bay Times - Letters to the Editor
23 Sept 2021

Dead right

Florida’s new surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo^*, is spot-on with his observation that the best form of prevention from COVID-19 is for persons to have an infection because this will provide the best immunity. I am aware that he is correct because of a recent experience with a member of my family. He had a severe infection from COVID-19. He is past that now and is completely immune—not only for COVID-19 but flu and other respiratory infections as well. Dr. Ladapo’s recommendation works. Of course we are burying this family member next week.

Charles Chamberlain, Spring Hill

We have seen that like most vaccines, the COVID-19 ones attempt to avoid any infection but the more important service to lessen the impact of an infection to avoid death. I would suggest we not measure the effectiveness of this or any other vaccine only by lack of any infection but the cumulative reduction in the impact. At least for me, I can literally live with an influenza or other infection as long as it does not kill me.

* The surgeon general has commented that a previous coronavirus infection “protects people from getting very ill and also protects people from being infected again.”↩