I have lost 10 family members to COVID-19, reveals Indian-American US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy

During a White House press event on Thursday, Indian-American US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy revealed that the coronavirus has claimed the lives of ten members of his family.

Murthy spoke openly about his own experience during the pandemic at the briefing, which he attended to encourage Americans to get their shots in the face of low vaccination rates.

"On a personal note, it's painful for me to know that nearly every death we are seeing now from COVID-19 could have been prevented. I say that as someone who has lost 10 family members to COVID-19 and who wishes every day that they had had the opportunity to get vaccinated," Dr Murthy said.

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"I see that also as a concerned father of two young children who aren't yet eligible for the vaccine, but I know that our kids are depending on all of us to get vaccinated to shield them from this virus," he added.

Dr Murthy, who is serving in the position for the second time, said this at a White House briefing, emphasising the importance of individuals getting vaccinated against the deadly virus.

"We must confront misinformation as a nation. Every one of us has the power and the responsibility to make a difference in this fight. Lives are depending on it," said the top American doctor.

"But we are not out of the woods yet. Millions of Americans are still not protected against COVID-19, and we are seeing more infections among those who are unvaccinated," he said.

"Health misinformation is false, inaccurate, or misleading information about health, according to the best evidence at the time. And while it often appears innocuous on social media apps and retail sites or search engines, the truth is that misinformation takes away our freedom to make informed decisions about our health and the health of our loved ones," said Vivek Murthy.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, health misinformation has led people to resist wearing masks in high-risk settings. It’s led them to turn down proven treatments and to choose not to get vaccinated. This has led to avoidable illnesses and death. Simply put, health [mis]information has cost us lives."

(With inputs from agencies)