A Florida doctor who will no longer accept in-person visits from patients who are not vaccinated denies that her restriction violates the Hippocratic Oath.
"It's not fair for people who are unvaccinated to harm other people," South Miami-based Dr. Linda Marraccini told Newsweek.
"The Hippocratic Oath is very science-based. I am following the science. I'm applying this to the benefit of the sick."
The Hippocratic Oath is generally taken by students receiving a medical degree. It is attributed to Hippocrates and sets forth an ethical code for the medical profession.
"I understand that people are free to choose, but to me, it's a problem when it affects other people," Marraccini told NBC-6 South Florida.
"When it comes to the safety of others, when it comes to the fact that it's a global health problem and community health problem, at this point, I really say that this is where it draws the line in the sand for me.
"There's been millions of deaths globally so that's not something to ignore," she continued. "People are getting to where everybody knows somebody that died from COVID.
"This is a problem that really everyone needs to help out with, and it's affecting our collective communal health."
Marraccini's policy goes in effect Sept. 15, but it might be merely symbolic and potentially political. She vows to still meet unvaccinated patients virtually or make exceptions for in-person visits if the patients have a hardship or need prescriptions, according to the report.
"We're not going to leave them out there in the cold," she told Newsweek.
Marraccini also told the news outlet she is inviting those who have an issue with her new policy to find a new primary-care physician.
"Responsibility has to do with each individual," she told Newsweek. "This is a global health issue, and everyone owns part of that responsibility."
A Twitter account bearing Marraccini's name has past tweets critical of former President Donald Trump and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., although Newsmax could not verify this was indeed her account as of this writing.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.