Different Kinds

 

            There are different kinds of unvaccinated people. It's important not to lump them all into one category.

            Some people are advised not to get the vaccine. Those who's doctors have determined that their state of health might be compromised by the vaccination due to medical issues. It is these people who rely on the concept of herd immunity to reduce the possibility of exposure. Many of the medical issues that they have that make the vaccine hazardous also put them at extreme risk of severe illness should they contract Covid 19.

            Some people are genuinely afraid of the vaccine. Unfortunately their fears stem from the constant barrage of misinformation that conflates those fears. Once convinced that the vaccines present an enormous risk, these people are difficult to convince otherwise. Social media algorithms reinforce those fears by presenting more and more misinformation that agrees with the person's bias. There is much information that addresses those fearful positions and debunks those misleading and false sources. It is difficult to steer the fearful towards those high quality, scientifically verifiable sources once they fall into that confirmation bias loop.

            Some people are unable to access the vaccine. People with disabilities, cultural or religious restrictions, or even those who are shift workers have real difficulties gaining access to vaccinations. There are barriers like language, poverty, and lack of child care that make it hard to get to clinics or pharmacies. People who live in isolated areas with poor physical access may also have trouble accessing the vaccines as they may not be readily available.

            Then there are those who simply won't get the vaccine for a myriad of reasons. The most public of these is the notion that the vaccinations represent some sort of threat by authority over people's autonomy and freedom to choose. Conspiracies abound that the vaccines are just a symbol of a trend that is part of an agenda to dismantle democracy and install some sort of dictatorial socialist/communist tyranny. These people are conscripting the people who are afraid into their movement and are becoming the real source of the rising infection rates as they gather en masse in huge protests. They have also conscripted some in the medical profession to spread their message. Otherwise intelligent qualified doctors, nurses, and other practitioners are spreading misleading and dangerous information that is convincing a large number of fearful and resistant people to continue to disobey public health orders and reject the vaccines. The result is an infection in the credibility of the medical profession as a whole. The credible among the profession are struggling to debunk those misleading colleagues but they're also busy caring for a ballooning number of sick and dying patients.

            The result is that we're once again facing the possibility of a strict lockdown. Medical professionals have nicknamed it a Firebreak. Like fighting fire, they want to remove the fuel in the pandemic's path. It will work.

            But it won't. This time there is such a mass of the dissident "freedom fighter" crowd, there will be a very aggressive, vocal response to that firebreak. I suspect we'll be lucky if there aren't riots and violence. The end result will be enforcement at the level that will confirm those notions of authoritarian oppression. There will be an enforcement presence, probably a curfew, and strict restrictions on who can travel where and when.

            Because people complain about their obligation to help their society in favor of avoiding mere inconveniences of health protocols, we all will suffer. Even those of us who did what we thought was best for our communities, families, and society by following those protocols and getting vaccinated.

            So yes there are different kinds of unvaccinated people. Those who can't and those who won't. We're all supposed to be respectful, kind, and understanding. I respect and understand those who cannot be vaccinated. It is for them that I got vaccinated. I'm fast running out of patience with those who won't and continue to spew their conspiratorial garbage and hatred at those who by their selfless sacrifices are truly trying to end this damned Pandemic. I'm fast running out of empathy for those who verbally assault a business owner for doing his part to end this damned Pandemic and keep his doors open and keep himself and his patrons safe. Respectful, kind, and understanding. Right.

            While I'm being impatient, I would be remiss if I didn't include those militant folks who are vaccinated who are berating those fearful unvaccinated folks who are trying to decide who and what to believe. Vaccinated people shouldn't be a barrier to those struggling with that decision.

            It is truly a pivotal moment in our society. If we don't conquer this virus, there will be extreme hardships should it spread even further and disrupt supply chains of essential goods like food. We're beginning to see huge disruptions in manufacturing and there will be significant ripples felt as those products begin to disappear. We're seeing those medical systems become overwhelmed and many thousands of people are being denied crucial care because the system is plugged with Covid victims.

            That vocal crowd shouting about being oppressed will ultimately become quiet. More and more of them will experience the virus first hand. They will lose loved ones or become sick themselves. They will hear their friends and family members utter words of regret as they wish they would have got their shots. Unfortunately, a portion of the vaccinated population will also fall ill due to the presence of enough infection to overwhelm their immunity and many will die that would otherwise have lived.

            The real winner in all of this will be Hatred. A key component in the fall of every civilization since mankind began walking erect. Right now I'm attributing the lion's share of that hatred to those who insist that their personal freedoms somehow trump the greater good. A basic respect and empathy for our fellow citizens is being usurped by a hateful selfishness that has stemmed from an insidious campaign of misinformation. A disagreeable and confrontational wave of vitriol has replaced measured and cooperative discourse that began under the banner of "We're all in this together."

            Get vaccinated if you can. Help provide a safe society for those who can't. Help someone who is unable. Try to help allay the fears of someone who is afraid by pointing them to better information. Continue to debunk the garbage and do what you can to convince those who won't. Every one convinced is at least one potential life saved.

            Make a place in your soul to keep those who have decided that your relationship cannot survive this disagreement - even if it's you who decided. There may be a reconciliation some day.

            There are different kinds. In the end if we ever want to heal we'll have to find a shred of something that makes us the same, not different.