To the Editor:

I found Arlene Shako’s letter, “Vaccinate undocumented immigrants last,” in your Dec. 3 edition disturbing to read.

We can all agree that health care professionals, frontline workers, and the more vulnerable elderly should be the first groups to receive a COVID vaccine. However, to suggest that “inner-city minority” people and “undocumented and illegal immigrants” should be the last is appalling!

Out of curiosity, Ms. Shako, where would a non-minority, inner-city dweller or a minority suburbanite fall on your distribution list? Yikes, this could get complicated!

The dictionary defines humanitarian (adjective) as “concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare.” To withhold the vaccine from people that some would arbitrarily deem less worthy is just inhumane and would have a major societal and economic impact.

Let’s not politicize distribution. COVID does not discriminate nor should we. No one person is more deserving or worthy than another. 

Donna Lansing Baker

Guilderland