Maryland grandmother Linda Mercer had refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
She wondered whether the vaccines were developed too quickly and whether they would interact with medication she takes for blood clots in her lungs.
But the former anti-vaxxer changed her mind after developing a severe case of the virus, she said Monday from her hospital bed.
“I’m admitting my wrong because I was being selfish by not getting vaccinated,” Mercer said. “It really changes your outlook on life when you almost feel like, I may be called home.”
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Mercer, a Glenarden resident, had told her whole family not to get vaccinated against COVID-19. She knew they would listen to her.
“They’re gonna follow my decision. Grandma not getting it, we not getting it,” she said.
A few days ago she could hardly breathe and was rushed to a hospital by ambulance.
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“It’s something that I really wouldn’t wish on anybody. This has been a rough ordeal for me,” Mercer said.
It’s unclear when she will be released from the hospital. She said she looks forward to being able to see her grandchildren and sharing a message with everyone she sees: “ If you have loved ones that really love you, and you know you matter to them, get the vaccine.”
Mercer said in an update to News4 on Tuesday that she was released from the hospital but is still very weak.
