Without Change, Covid-19 Isn’t Going Anywhere, Anytime Soon.
The entire world has been living in uncertainty for just over a year now. Toilet paper and pasta isn’t being hoarded anymore, and movie theaters and theme parks are starting to open back up, but social distancing and mask-wearing is still at the forefront of our lives. Now that vaccines have become more available and nearly everyone is able to qualify, it seems like we may be reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. But it’s not as simple as that.
About 18% of the United States’ population has been fully vaccinated, and almost half of the country’s population has received at least one dose of the Coronavirus vaccine. But between people struggling to find vaccine appointments and others who simply refuse to receive the vaccine, this is going to be a long process.
Much of the country has struggled, or is still struggling to find available vaccine appointments. Elderly Americans especially, have quickly learned that being eligible for the vaccine and being able to secure a vaccine appointment is not the same thing. Some, for weeks, have been setting their alarms to wake up early in the morning in hopes of there being an appointment time available near them. These appointments are also made online, which makes it difficult for members of the elderly community as some are not comfortable with using the internet.
Even as someone who is internet savvy and has a lot of time out of my day to search for vaccine appointments, I have struggled to find an appointment that fits into my schedule. I was someone who tried to get into the queue for buying tickets to Hamilton at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, New York, and I would argue that was a lot easier than trying to find a vaccine appointment. I finally was able to find an appointment that worked for me, but it took weeks.
And for those who can get it, some just aren’t interested. Many are concerned about safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, but many of these same people won’t wait until restrictions are lifted to see friends and family. I have personally seen a few of my facebook friends sharing articles about how the vaccine is not effective because someone contracted Covid-19 even after being fully vaccinated. These articles can be misleading because there is still a chance of getting mild cases of Covid-19 after being vaccinated, but this chance is low, and the main objective of this vaccine is to diminish the risk of moderate and severe cases to stop deaths and free hospital space.
States like Texas and Mississippi among others are jumping the gun and trashing the mask mandate before their populations are fully vaccinated. This is indirectly going to cause cases to go up, more hospitalizations, and ultimately, more deaths.
Some of my friends have also expressed concern over receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine since through research, it was found that the vaccine is 66% effective in preventing mild cases of the virus. Compared to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, this number is much lower; however, it is most likely that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are similar to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in this number, but these drug companies did not do the research that Johnson & Johnson did. If you are adamant about not receiving one vaccine type, you are possibly making your wait time for a vaccine even longer.
To bring us closer to the end of the pandemic, the solution is simple. Wear a mask, socially distance, and get the vaccine when you are able to. If receiving a vaccine for the Coronavirus stays a political issue, we will not reach herd immunity and the virus will stay around for a long time, leaving the question of “when can we get back to normal?”, up in the air.
