Dear Governor Stitt,

Over the past nine months, Oklahomans have witnessed the wrath of the coronavirus pandemic. As a
physician, I have personally witnessed the toll this taken on our staff, my patients and their families.

On January 1, 2021, I lost my father to COVID-19. Our entire family mourns this unnecessary loss. In
November, we also lost an aunt to the same illness. My father was a resident of the Oklahoma Veterans
Center in Ardmore. My aunt was in a nursing home in another state. Their losses bear witness to the fact
that despite heroic efforts, we cannot protect the most vulnerable in our communities. Like so many
others, we were deprived the privilege of being with these family members when they needed us the
most, in their final days.

During this pandemic, your administration has spent a great deal of time and effort focused on
reminding Oklahomans of their personal responsibility to mask, wash hand and socially distance. These
efforts alone have not contained this pandemic and Oklahoma’s health care systems are at their
breaking point. Our hospitals are full and our staff are both physically and emotionally exhausted.
Unfortunately, like so many others, I watched the tragedy of my father’s death unfold in an emergency
department, because the hospital was already full of COVID patients. I fear our darkest days are still
ahead of us.

Oklahomans are in the midst of THE public health crisis of our lifetime and it is unlikely to abate without
a monumental public health response. A massive vaccination effort is our only clear path to return to
“normalcy” and protect those most vulnerable Oklahomans. This response cannot be accomplished
without your leadership and a substantial investment in Oklahoma’s public health infrastructure. In
addition, our state and county health departments need to collaborate much more effectively with their
respective health care leaders. Most importantly, the staff and residents of our long-term acute care
facilities (LTACS), skilled nursing facilities and veterans’ centers need to start receiving vaccinations
immediately. We cannot wait for private pharmacies to develop the capacity to complete this task.
Protecting our family members in these facilities, in turn, protects our entire health care system. Lastly, I
have seen estimates that in order to reach herd immunity in the next year, it will require more than
50,000 Oklahomans be vaccinated every week. We have much work to do.

As for the rest of us, receiving a coronavirus vaccination can no longer a matter of personal choice, it has
to be a moral obligation. I urge you to use you position to urge Oklahomans to be vaccinated and
provide the leadership and financial support to set a goal of providing the vaccine to every Oklahoman
who wants to be vaccinated within the next six months. Do this to honor those who have lost their
battle with COVID-19 and their families.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey L. Galles, D.O.

Chief Medical Officer
Utica Park Clinic
Tulsa, Oklahoma