Unfortunately, the propaganda is being spread and magnified by "trusted" people. My friend in New Jersey got this email from her kids' pediatrician (I am no longer shielding the identity of those like this doctors' office who spread this nonsense):

From: Chestnut Ridge Pediatrics <donotreply@chestnutridgepediatrics.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2021 1:45 PM Subject: Covid-19 Update Dec 2021 Covid-19 Update

We hope that everyone is doing well and staying safe.

We are currently seeing a very high volume of sick patients- higher than we have seen in years. We need to keep our appointment slots available for sick patients and we need to prioritize our testing supplies. Therefore, we are currently not able to test patients for events or for exposures. We also cannot test parents at this time.

We have tried very hard over the last 21 months to be here for you, our patients and families, and nothing is harder for us than to have to turn people away, but at this time we are simply overwhelmed.

We are not helpless against this current wave of covid. There are measures that we know work: masks, social distancing and vaccinations. Yes, the vaccines do work. While there are breakthrough cases, those who are vaccinated do not get as sick and have a much lower chance of getting covid or being hospitalized. What allows this virus to continue circulating and mutating to more contagious variants is when people remain unvaccinated. So please, if you or you child are eligible for a vaccine, get vaccinated. If you are 16 or older and it has been 6 months since your last dose of vaccine, get a booster. Boosters have been shown to be greatly increase the effectiveness of the vaccine against this new variant.

If you wish to schedule a Covid vaccine appointment, please send a request through the patient portal.

Please refer to these links for useful information:

COVID Data Tracker

How To Protect Yourself and Others

Kind regards, Chestnut Ridge Pediatrics

©2021 Chestnut Ridge Pediatrics | 135 Chestnut Ridge Road | Montvale NJ 07645 | 201 391 2020