Dr. Jason Valentine, a physician at Mobile’s Diagnostic and Medical Clinic Infirmary Health in Alabama, has announced that he will no longer treat unvaccinated patients.
The doctor announced his decision in a now-private or deleted Facebook post in which he posed next to a sign that read “effective Oct. 1, 2021, Dr. Valentine will no longer see patients that are not vaccinated against COVID-19.”
AL.com reports that the doctor claims three unvaccinated patients asked where they could get a vaccine following his post.
“No conspiracy theories, no excuses. Just where do they go,” he said.
The doctor claims that he told patients who asked him about his new policy that he doesn't want to watch them die from COVID.
“If they asked why, I told them COVID is a miserable way to die and I can’t watch them die like that,” he wrote.
Dr. Valentine also posted a letter that he is sending to his patients online.“We do not yet have any great treatments for severe disease, but we do have great prevention with vaccines. Unfortunately, many have declined to take the vaccine, and some end up severely ill or dead. I cannot and will not force anyone to take the vaccine, but I also cannot continue to watch my patients suffer and die from an eminently preventable disease,” the letter said. “Therefore, as of October 1st, 2021, I will no longer see patients that have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. If you wish to keep me as your physician, documentation of your vaccination will suffice. If you wish to choose another physician, we will be happy to transfer your records.”
MedPageToday reports that "only about 36% of Alabama's population is fully vaccinated against COVID, according to the latest data from the CDC. The state remains among those with the lowest overall vaccination rates in the nation."
A group called Health Freedom Alabama has blasted Valentine for his decision.
"This is not only a flagrant disregard for the law but is an ethical violation of his Hippocratic oath to do no harm. SHAME on Dr. Valentine! We need to shut his illegal behavior down - NOW!" HFA posted on Facebook. "Act 2021-493 specifically prohibits a business from refusing goods or services based on immunization status. PERIOD."
Act 2021-493 states that "an entity or individual doing business in this state may not refuse to provide any goods or services, or refuse to allow admission, to a customer based on the customer's immunization status or lack of documentation that the customer has received an immunization."
