Anne Goyette, who has leukemia, faced 10 days of delays trying to get a COVID booster amid confusion over RFK Jr.’s vaccine policies.
Anne Goyette, who has leukemia, is at grave danger if she gets COVID-19, and is eligible for the vaccine booster. Amid HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s tumultuous changes to vaccine policy, Goyette fought in vain for more than a week to get the shot or a prescription from her doctors and nurses at Wellstar Health System. Finally she heard on social media about a clinic where she could get it and went there. Georgia is seeing a late summer COVID cases, according to the Department of Public Health. (Jason Getz / AJC)
Anne Goyette is fighting leukemia and needs the COVID-19 booster now. Her pharmacy has it. She’s eligible.
But amid chaos under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s upended vaccine policies, Goyette’s doctor, four nurses and the pharmacy have told her no.
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htiw tiaw litnu ot ot yeht yeht rieht eht ekat ekat dias dias dias dias yramirp .snoitpircserp .snoitpircserp .noitpircserp .ycilop ycamrahp ycamrahp ycamrahp ylno esrun esrun ton txen htnom tsuj s’ti ti ,reh reh reh evig cinortcele cinortcele s’rotcod rotcod t’ndluoc dluoc dluoc ylniatrec erac tub .yawa deksa ,tnemtnioppa a a ehT ehT ehT reH rehtonA
t’nsaw deirt taht tsilaiceps aimekuel yletaidemmi reh rotcod tub .elbaliava etteyoG
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yletulosbA“ t’now ohw .tiaw syas ro ,esrun .ton ”.em efil tel si si reh reh rof htaed recnac osla a sihT ,etteyoG
A direct message from a nurse at Anne Goyette’s primary care doctor’s office at Wellstar Health System was one in a chain preventing her from getting the COVID-19 booster shot even though she is eligible and her pharmacy has it. She eventually got it at walk-in clinic. (Courtesy of Anne Goyette)
,yaw noitaniccav rednu tsurt siht taht taht ees dias gnirotser ycilop stneitap htnom ynam ti si si ni ni htlaeh eh sah rof t’nseod soahc dna .seicnega ydenneK .rJ eH aigroeG llaF s’aciremA
ydobyrevE“ saw eht eht eht t’ndluohs ,tohs dias yltnecer ,smelborp elbissop elpoep ,detsisni ni sgniraeh yhtlaeh eh dellirg teg teg nac tub ”.retsoob tuoba ydenneK lanoissergnoC DIVOC sA
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erew .keew siht eht tcejbus snoitautis fo fo fo gniteem rojam ekil raef noissucsid ta a ehT cilbuP htlaeH s’etteyoG aigroeG tnemtrapeD draoB
Getting the COVID vaccine was “life or death for me,” says Anne Goyette, a nurse with leukemia who lives in Smyrna. (Courtesy of Anne Goyette.)
— — deirrow lliw noitaniccav rednu ytniatrecnu liomrut ot yeht ereht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht taht taht ekat etats etats ecneics ecneics dias thgir ycilop stsicamrahp stneitap ro ylno no ,won sdeen srebmem pihsredael tsal si otni ni ni ni fi dnuorg lareneg .erutuf erutuf morf rof rof neve yllaicepse ,srotcod segrevid noitasrevnoc draob etairporppa dna dna deerga toN ydenneK aigroeG HPD .CDC draoB
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rehtehw yaw tev .seniccav ,seniccav oot dlot ot ot ot rieht rieht eht eht .taht taht taht taht taht ekat setats etats etats dluohs yas .selur nwo nwo rehto no no fo fo won denoitnem srebmem ekil wal s’ti gniussi spuorg gniog morf gnimrof wef ylrae od segrevid ediced dluoc egnahc namriahc draob draob era era dna dna secnailla ecivda cimedaca a a ehT emoS scirtaideP nI .SHH ,aigroeG aigroeG dnA naciremA ymedacA CJA
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lliw rehtehw seniccav snoitcetorp srebmem gnirutcafunam lagel peek tnemtsevni fi laredef desserpxe .raeppasid nrecnoc seinapmoc draob dna tuoba emoS HPD
evah“ dessentiw yrev noitaniccav koot ot ot ot emit eht ekat dias revocer ,smargorp lacituecamrahp rebmem gnol gnol ti si tsevni ni woh gniog ”,morf noisore seinapmoc doohdlihc draob dna a snaicirtaideP ykcuL .niaJ .rD
ehT“ ll’ew ot kniht ,yas dias ekam gniog ”,sgurd seinapmoc recnac era miJ I .narruC namriahC draoB
— erehw erew dewov seniccav detaniccav esu ot ot ot eht eht taht taht noegrus etats ecneics .loohcs stnemeriuqer hcaer fo sdeen srebmem edam ekil sti ni sah lareneg esitrepxe dne snoisiced nerdlihc eb diova ta dna dna deerga ecnavda ,adirolF HPD draoB
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erew saw ,sni-klaw .gniyrt ot eht taht laicos stohs ehs ehs dias gniriuqer .snoitpircserp seicamrahp edistuo no fo ton aidem sreh draeh tog gnivig morf yllautneve tnereffid syad era dna dna retfa ,yadsendeW etuniM etuniM etteyoG scinilC cinilC SVC SVC SVC 01
tuohtiw lliw lliw gnitiaw ot ot rieht eht eht eht eht smetsys .etis tohs dias .noitpircserp .noitpircserp stsicamrahp ,seicamrahp no ton ekil ti si htlaeh evah evig evig evig rof srotcod sremotsuc eettimmoc retsoob erofeb era dna gniwolla a ,xilbuP tnomdeiP yromE yromE SVC DIVOC CDC
I“ sA“ ew ew yrev gnidnatsrednu ot ot siht kniht kniht s’ereht eht eht taht deklat dias yltnecer ylralucitrap eciffo fo fo ,gninrom .ti ecnatropmi ”,snoitazinummi ,snoitazinummi eguh ”.htlaeh s’ronrevog rof rof dettimmoc tnemtimmoc s’nerdlihc ,nerdlihc sa era dna lla tuoba a .yemooT oS neelhtaK I HPD renoissimmoC
.eniccav ot eht taht .dias tuo ton ,egassem si sdnetni gnivig yrrac yemooT elihwnaeM HPD HPD
eW“ fI“ htiw tahw ew ew ew gnitiaw sdnert ot ”.neht eht eht ees ecneics .dias yllaer tuo fo ekam enil wonk ,ti ti si si ”,senilediug nevig leef cigoloimedipe snoisiced )eettimmoc nac sa era ,etairporppa dna yemooT eniccav(
Ariel Hart is a reporter on health care issues. She works on the AJC’s health team and has reported on subjects including the Voting Rights Act and transportation.
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