“When you believe in things that you don’t understand, then you suffer. Superstition ain’t the way.” — Stevie Wonder.
By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | To get the Covid pandemic under control, we must achieve herd immunity, defined as 75 percent-plus of a state’s total population being fully vaccinated (currently two shots minimum). We have been able to achieve this goal with only one age group, seniors. Areas of the nation with lower vaccination rates have more Covid deaths.
A poll asked, “If a vaccine for the Coronavirus is made available to you, will you choose to be vaccinated or not?” Only five percent of Democrats said no. But 37 percent of Republicans stated they would not, with 39 percent of evangelicals who voted for Trump saying no (the subgroup the most against inoculations). And, proportionally twice as many people in the conservative South said no versus the more liberal West.
Here are the facts versus pre-conceived notions:
- Notion 1 – “I think I already had Covid-19.” Get tested and know for sure. If you had Covid-19, your doctor will tell you to get vaccinations after a period of time.
- Notion 2 – “I’m young so I don’t need vaccinations.” What about seniors and those with medical conditions you might infect? And even younger people get ill with Covid-19. Why take the chance of hurting your friends and family?
- Notion 3 –“Healthy people like me get it and it’s just like a cold.”
One out of ten people who get Covid-19 are “long-haulers.” They can be young and otherwise healthy. “Long-haulers” get long-term symptoms like difficulty breathing, pain, dizziness, fatigue, and loss of memory, taste and smell.
- Notion 4 – “The Lord has protected me so far and will take care of me.” God gave us a brain to analyze right from wrong. Infecting others is against God’s wishes; that’s why He gave us the vaccine. Many religious people refused the vaccinations and died.
- Notion 5 – “Vaccinated people get Covid-19 anyway, especially now with the Omicron variant, so there’s no reason to be vaccinated.” If you are vaccinated, the chances of getting Covid-19 are less and the health impact is minimal. Science says get the shot.
- Notion 6 – “I heard the vaccine side effects are really bad.” There are minor side effects that show up in some people who are vaccinated (i.e. arm ache). But these side effects are almost always transient. Covid-19 kills and can have a multitude of horrible long-term side effects.
- Notion 7 – “The vaccines were developed too quickly. There are just as many doctors who say don’t get the shot as there are telling us to get it.” There’s no disagreement in the medical community about the efficacy of the vaccination. Almost all doctors are vaccinated. Your MD will tell you to get vaccinated.
- Notion 8 – “The Omicron variant is not as harmful as other variants.” The Omicron variant spreads quickly; some people get very sick and die. Get the shot before it’s too late.
People on the right have been uniformly against mandating vaccinations while offering no alternatives other than harmful “old wives’ tales.” Chloroquine, silver, chlorine dioxide, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and ivermectin cannot immunize or cure you.
Obviously, the vaccine issue has been politicized by both parties to the detriment of the public. But that is not an acceptable excuse for why right-wing pundits, preachers and politicians are not pushing harder for their people to take the shots. Simply sending our thoughts and prayers to people stricken with Covid is not enough.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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