Martinez: For good info on Covid-19 vaccines, don't follow social media jokers

EDINBURG, Texas - The chief medical officer for DHR Health says the efforts he and his colleagues are making to help patients recover from Covid-19 are not being helped by misinformation about the vaccine.“It is important for people to get their information from good, newsworthy sources, not social media jokers. That is important,” Dr. Robert Martinez said, in an in-depth interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service. “The misinformation is a travesty. We should be way more ahead as a region. I am a little disappointed.”Martinez said studies have shown the Covid vaccine to be “way more effective” than vaccines for other ailments. He said he cannot understand why some residents in the Rio Grande Valley are resistant to taking it.“It is incredible, people just have an urge to fight, or be ignorant. I do not know what it is. It is very aggravating. It is not about liberty and personal choice, it is about doing the right thing when you have the tools to do it,” Martinez said.“Otherwise, when you get sick, don’t come to the hospital, don’t waste space for somebody who at least tried to do the right thing for the community. You can’t say that but I know that is what a lot of people are thinking.”Asked how bad the misinformation on social media is about the Covid-19 vaccine, Martinez said: “It is pretty bad. I think to some extent they should be held accountable. They need to find information from credible sources and they need to learn to ask questions and educate themselves. There is a lot of personal responsibility with this disease. It is more important than ever, not to try to blame it on this person or that person. Or freedom issues. That is pretty weak. Everybody has a responsibility.”Editor's Note: To read the full story go to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service website. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.