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Not so long ago, people were clamoring for COVID-19 vaccines, with some even going so far as to lie about their age to get the vaccines that were in demand but not readily available when they were given by age. , the oldest first. Now the country is in a whole other opposite dilemma with a lot of vaccines to distribute, but not enough people willing to wave their arms to get them. The concern is so great that governments and businesses are trying to lure people in with incentives like food, cash and lottery winnings.
The country has seen a slowdown in demand for vaccines due to reluctance and mistrust of vaccines, so much so that President Joe Biden may not meet his target of at least 70% of eligible people receiving at least one dose by July 4. On average, the country administers less than one million strokes per day, a drop of more than two-thirds from the peak of 3.4 million per day in April, according to a Washington Post analysis. At this rate, 4.2 million adults per week must get a first shot to reach the Presidents mark.
The numbers vary widely by location and policy. In liberal-leaning Maryland, half of all residents, not just those who are eligible, have been fully immunized, and 72% of people over 18 received at least one dose on Monday. Meanwhile, in conservative Mississippi, only 26% of residents have been fully immunized.
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We cannot ignore the role of former President Donald Trump in this matter and its lingering effect. A recent Gallop poll found that 24% of Americans plan to never get the vaccine; of these, 46% are Republicans, 31% are independents and only 6% are Democrats.
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We can’t help but wonder what those numbers would look like if the virus and vaccine hadn’t become such political football. As new variants make their way across the United States, there is an increased risk of serious illness for unvaccinated people who also haven’t had coronavirus and have developed natural immunity.
To these people, we implore them to think about the risk of death and long-term complications for themselves and others. We also have compassion for those who have real fears and distrust of the medical system of all political stripes. We urge them to compare the number of people who have died from the vaccine versus the virus. The virus is much more frightening.
As a country, we cannot give up trying to convince the skeptics or change the minds of the skeptics. This means that each of us who knows someone who is reluctant has to do our part to make them change their mind. Trusted surrogates and community leaders are needed to reach suspicious people, whether they are a church leader or a neighborhood sage. Public health officials also need to work on more innovative ways to reach people without injecting.
Of course, if the July 4 deadline has passed and the magic number has not yet been reached, that won’t mean the vaccination effort has failed or will stop. The effort must be maintained until we achieve collective immunity, or we risk another epidemic and the loss of more lives. Life may seem to be back to normal as people once again venture to restaurants, beaches and unmasked summer vacations. In fact, the virus is still putting too many lives at risk. While cases and hospitalizations have generally declined, people are indeed still dying. And every individual loss is a loss for our country. The pandemic is not over yet and it will not be until we do our part.
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