“Vaccines are very effective at saving our lives and keeping us out of the hospital,” says the Indian American Surgeon General
After Vivek Murthy and his whole family got Covid-19 despite their best efforts to avoid infection, the Indian American Surgeon General has advised Americans in similar circumstances: “Don’t beat yourself up.”
“If you’ve done everything you can and gotten Covid-19 anyway, don’t beat yourself up,” he tweeted Friday after he his wife, physician and political activist Dr. Alice Chen, and their two kids tested positive.
“A lot of us are doing the best we can. And let’s not assume those who get sick are careless,” Murthy wrote. “We don’t know people’s circumstances. They may not be able to protect themselves the way we can.”
Read: Vivek Murthy wishes vaccines for kids under 5 were available (February 17, 2022)
“When you’ve been as safe as you can, getting Covid-19 can be frustrating and disappointing. I’ve felt that. It can also be a source of shame,” America’s doctor as the surgeon general is called, tweeted.
“Many people assume you must have been careless to get sick. Our safety measures reduce risk but they can’t eliminate risk. Nothing can.”
Murthy, a regular participant at White House Covid task force briefings, said he and Chen, have mild symptoms. She has a headache and fatigue, and he said he was dealing with muscle aches, chills, and a sore throat. “Our breathing is fine, thankfully,” he wrote.
Murthy, his wife and their 5-year-old son are vaccinated and boosted. Their 4-year-old daughter is too young to be eligible for vaccination. The kids are coping, Murthy wrote.
His daughter, “who tested positive first, is doing ok,” he said. “Fevers are starting to improve. She’s still congested and is now hoarse from all the coughing, but thankfully she’s still smiling and enjoying her arts and crafts.”
“Our son has a runny nose and low-grade fever but is otherwise eating, drinking, playing with his sister, and watching his favorite cartoons,” Murthy added.
Read: Talk to kids about the pandemic: Vivek Murthy (December 30, 2021)
“It has been chaotic at home with all of us sick but I wouldn’t want to navigate this with anyone but Alice,” he said.
Addressing the challenge of all parents, Murthy wrote, “We’ve tried to be safe but it’s tough when your kids are sick. You want to comfort them when they’re unwell.”
“That often requires being close physically. We’d make that choice again, but I feel for those who struggle to balance protecting themselves with caring for family.”
Despite him and his family getting sick, Murthy said his confidence in vaccines remains unshaken. “One major source of peace of mind for us: we and our son are vaxed/boosted,” he wrote.
“Vaccines are very effective at saving our lives and keeping us out of the hospital. As parents, I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to know we’ll be able to care for our kids even if we get infected.”
Read: America’s doctor family get COVID-19 despite safeguards (February 19, 2022)
As surgeon general, Murthy called out early on Covid misinformation and disinformation, urging Americans to follow tested public health guidance and get vaccinated and boosted.
Government officials have cited data to stress that those fully vaccinated retain substantial protection against severe disease and hospitalization, and for those who get their booster shots resistance to getting sick is even greater.