New Hampshire COVID-19 patient urging others to get vaccinated

January 6, 2022

WGME | By WGME

An unvaccinated man in New Hampshire says he’s had a change of heart after getting infected with COVID-19.

Fred Rutherford, 55, says he had been skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines. That is until he tested positive for the virus.

While in a hospital bed with oxygen tubes pumping air into his ailing lungs, Rutherford is urging those who are unvaccinated to get the shot and protect one another.

“I probably thought I was immortal, that I was tough, you know, and I could – I didn’t need to, but just life changes, you know. Get vaccinated, it’s only way to go. Only way to live,” Rutherford said.

According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. recorded more than one million new cases of COVID-19 Monday. That’s the highest single-day tally of new cases anywhere in the world.