1 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:08,896 I'm LTG Ron Place Director of 2 00:00:08,896 --> 00:00:11,118 the Defense Health Agency as a military 3 00:00:11,118 --> 00:00:13,229 physician have had a painful front row 4 00:00:13,229 --> 00:00:14,840 seat to the devastation that 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:16,784 coronavirus has brought upon our 6 00:00:16,784 --> 00:00:18,840 communities . I have had conversations 7 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:20,729 with our healthcare providers who 8 00:00:20,729 --> 00:00:22,840 watched patients die slowly painfully 9 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,600 and sometimes alone . Over 370 members of 10 00:00:25,610 --> 00:00:27,666 our defense community have died from 11 00:00:27,666 --> 00:00:30,340 COVID and more than 4000 have been hospitalized in 12 00:00:30,340 --> 00:00:32,480 military hospitals and thousands more 13 00:00:32,480 --> 00:00:34,369 in civilian hospitals . More than 14 00:00:34,369 --> 00:00:36,730 300,000 have been diagnosed with Covid 15 00:00:37,180 --> 00:00:39,180 and we're still learning about long 16 00:00:39,180 --> 00:00:41,124 covid the long term effects of our 17 00:00:41,124 --> 00:00:43,236 health after getting this disease . 18 00:00:43,236 --> 00:00:45,124 I have trouble accepting preventable 19 00:00:45,124 --> 00:00:47,013 hospitalizations and death due to 20 00:00:47,013 --> 00:00:49,069 COVID-19 now that we have safe and 21 00:00:49,069 --> 00:00:51,236 effective vaccines widely available to 22 00:00:51,236 --> 00:00:53,347 protect us . So I'm here today to ask 23 00:00:53,347 --> 00:00:55,402 you to get vaccinated if you haven't 24 00:00:55,402 --> 00:00:57,569 and finish the series if you've only 25 00:00:57,569 --> 00:00:59,690 received one where two are required , 26 00:00:59,700 --> 00:01:01,922 the vaccines protect you against severe 27 00:01:01,922 --> 00:01:04,880 disease, hospitalization and death 28 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:06,991 As a physician, my goal is to ensure you 29 00:01:06,991 --> 00:01:09,102 receive optimal care . But I need you 30 00:01:09,102 --> 00:01:11,213 to be part of the solution by getting 31 00:01:11,213 --> 00:01:13,380 vaccinated as soon as possible protect 32 00:01:13,380 --> 00:01:15,102 yourself your teammates , your 33 00:01:15,102 --> 00:01:17,269 community with a simple act of getting 34 00:01:17,269 --> 00:01:18,936 a shot . Please don't put our 35 00:01:18,936 --> 00:01:21,047 healthcare workers in the position of 36 00:01:21,047 --> 00:01:23,213 having to tell yet another family that 37 00:01:23,213 --> 00:01:25,436 their loved one has died . Just imagine 38 00:01:25,436 --> 00:01:27,436 what would be like for the Children 39 00:01:27,436 --> 00:01:29,602 left behind who when they learned that 40 00:01:29,602 --> 00:01:31,547 their family member could still be 41 00:01:31,547 --> 00:01:33,713 alive, if they received the vaccine . 42 00:01:33,713 --> 00:01:36,047 I don't wish that consequence on anyone . 43 00:01:36,047 --> 00:01:38,047 Please visit tricare.mil forward slash 44 00:01:38,047 --> 00:01:40,158 vaccine appointments to schedule 45 00:01:40,158 --> 00:01:40,060 your vaccination today .