A poor analogy

Fri., Oct. 8, 2021

In Brian Hansen’s letter to the editor on Oct. 4 (“A slippery slope”), he makes a poor analogy between caring for a smoker with cancer, among others, and caring for the unvaccinated.

The analogy fails because there is no vaccine for a smoker with cancer, but there is for COVID-19. If a smoker could take a vaccine and within two weeks vastly reduce their chances of hospitalization or death, Hansen’s analogy would succeed. If such a vaccine existed, and said smoker refused to take it, it seems that it would be equally fair to refuse service to the smoker as it probably should be to the COVID-19 unvaccinated, given how they are monopolizing health care services.

There is a two-week solution to one health issue, but not the other.

Bob Tattershall

Pullman

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