Vaccination free for-all

[TexasHusker]

This...I hate my city and state for it. They keep having appointments and the mega sites are outside the city. I thought it ridiculous they were giving lip service to equity but instead the only equity was people able to access the internet. I didn't understand why they didn't just set up mobile clinics in the city and just mass vaccinate all the people who didn't have reliable transportation or homeless. But when you put it that way people don't want to admit the way it was done was stupid, even though it was really stupid.

...because they are smarter and know better than you.

[ua_guy]

Yep. We have walk-in mass vaccination sites, you can walk into a pharmacy, walk up, drive through. All along, you've been able to call to find the closest site, or to book an appointment, a lot of times an appointment isn't even needed, and almost not at all now. There are outreach programs. Vaccine supply has been outpaced by demand for a long time until recently. The biggest hurdle now in increasing the vaccination rate is fear, not access.

I just don't subscribe to the "they" and "government" blame. We're talking about thousands of organizations at the municipal, county, state, and federal level that are coordinating a response. One hundred million shots in arms turned out to be an under-promise and very welcome over-delivery. These organizations are doing a great job, and volunteers are showing true patriotism to help make this happen. It wouldn't have happened without them.

[TexasHusker]

The biggest hurdle now in increasing the vaccination rate is fear, not access.

Actually that’s media spin.

The biggest hurdle is apathy. To the average 20 or 30 something, why would I screw with getting shots if I have to act unvaccinated? For the low-risk age group, there is no incentive to get shots. I have 47 employees, and most fall in to this category.

Now the gubmit is floating paying people to get vaccinated. Why not just let them act vaccinated? That would gain some traction.

[disneysteve]

I just don't subscribe to the "they" and "government" blame.

Me neither. I think collectively the US has done an absolutely phenomenal job of getting shots in arms. Nearly 250 million doses have already been given in about 5 months, and still there are people who insist on criticizing and saying it should have been different somehow. I have friends in other several other countries and the vaccination efforts there are light years behind ours.

We're talking about thousands of organizations at the municipal, county, state, and federal level that are coordinating a response. One hundred million shots in arms turned out to be an under-promise and very welcome over-delivery. These organizations are doing a great job, and volunteers are showing true patriotism to help make this happen. It wouldn't have happened without them.

Well said.

[disneysteve]

To the average 20 or 30 something, why would I screw with getting shots if I have to act unvaccinated?

If everybody gets a shot, nobody has to "act unvaccinated". That's the whole point.

[TexasHusker]

If everybody gets a shot, nobody has to "act unvaccinated". That's the whole point.

Anyone who has a vaccine should be able to act vaccinated. That should be the point.

[disneysteve]

Anyone who has a vaccine should be able to act vaccinated. That should be the point.

It would be nice if science worked that way but it doesn't.

[TexasHusker]

It would be nice if science worked that way but it doesn't.

Actually it does. The two-shot vaccines are proving to be 90+ percent effective.

[TexasHusker]

As of April 15, 5800 people out of 77 million caught COVID after getting fully vaccinated. That’s .0075%

Assume 2% of those 5800, or 116, died.

That’s .000150%

I think it’s safe to live again, frankly. The continuing on of the various social distancing and other crap is just the left trying to exert control at this point. It’s highly debatable whether any of these theatrics moved the needle one tick.

[ua_guy]

Actually that’s media spin.

The biggest hurdle is apathy. To the average 20 or 30 something, why would I screw with getting shots if I have to act unvaccinated? For the low-risk age group, there is no incentive to get shots. I have 47 employees, and most fall in to this category.

Now the gubmit is floating paying people to get vaccinated. Why not just let them act vaccinated? That would gain some traction.

The "media" excuse is getting really old. The "media" has done nothing but blare really embarrassing, damning news about everyone and everything, like it always has. It cannot be blamed for actual shortcomings or gaps in thought, which it rightfully exposes.

But you do make a good point. Apathy is huge. However, the apathetic can be easily pushed because the barrier is usually about convenience and will power to just get something done. The apathetic are more likely to do something if incentivized, and as vaccine science works, we can all stand to benefit from as many people getting vaccinated as possible. It's the fearful who are unwavering, who will cling to not only fear, but who will also double down on their reasons for not getting vaccinated, no matter how untrue or absurd.

I've mentioned this before, but I work in healthcare environments and there are legitimately people who understand the science, but are just cautious about taking a vaccine which still only has EUA. Interestingly, there are people who have outed themselves as deniers, and I'm astonished as to why they would even want to work in healthcare. I don't want to alienate what is appreciable and legitimate concern. But we're also reaching that point where things are looking very safe after hundreds of millions of people are becoming vaccinated worldwide. The unknown is "long term". As I stare down middle-age, I can count on two hands the things I will wager to be more likely than this vaccine taking me out.

I'm living again. I wear a mask because I understand why I should take that precaution for a while longer. I've been out in public, I've embraced vaccinated family members, I'm starting to do all the things I used to do and not once did I ever think this was about "control". We're in the thick of a pandemic, that's what is real here.

[TexasHusker]

The "media" excuse is getting really old. The "media" has done nothing but blare really embarrassing, damning news about everyone and everything, like it always has. It cannot be blamed for actual shortcomings or gaps in thought, which it rightfully exposes.

But you do make a good point. Apathy is huge. However, the apathetic can be easily pushed because the barrier is usually about convenience and will power to just get something done. The apathetic are more likely to do something if incentivized, and as vaccine science works, we can all stand to benefit from as many people getting vaccinated as possible. It's the fearful who are unwavering, who will cling to not only fear, but who will also double down on their reasons for not getting vaccinated, no matter how untrue or absurd.

I've mentioned this before, but I work in healthcare environments and there are legitimately people who understand the science, but are just cautious about taking a vaccine which still only has EUA. Interestingly, there are people who have outed themselves as deniers, and I'm astonished as to why they would even want to work in healthcare. I don't want to alienate what is appreciable and legitimate concern. But we're also reaching that point where things are looking very safe after hundreds of millions of people are becoming vaccinated worldwide. The unknown is "long term". As I stare down middle-age, I can count on two hands the things I will wager to be more likely than this vaccine taking me out.

I'm living again. I wear a mask because I understand why I should take that precaution for a while longer. I've been out in public, I've embraced vaccinated family members, I'm starting to do all the things I used to do and not once did I ever think this was about "control". We're in the thick of a pandemic, that's what is real here.

The pandemic is over my friend. Started petering out in January. But you keep wearing your mask. Might even double up just to be sure.

[ua_guy]

The pandemic is over my friend. Started petering out in January. But you keep wearing your mask. Might even double up just to be sure.

India called, and she said no, it's not over yet.

It's like we're watching all of the mistakes we just made in the US happen all over again, three times worse.

[rennigade]

Anyone who has a vaccine should be able to act vaccinated. That should be the point.

It would be nice if science worked that way but it doesn't.

I'm not looking up the exact numbers but I think there have been something like 9,200 cases of post-vaccination COVID out of over 105,000,000 fully vaccinated people. That's as damn close to 100% as you're ever going to see.

"Cure" is the wrong word though because that would mean the shot would fix someone who has COVID. The shot PREVENTS the disease; it doesn't cure it.

Now im really confused. On one hand you say that the vaccine is nearly 100% effective, yet you're also saying that even though you are vaccinated, you cant resume life as we knew it? So this is the new norm it appears.

[disneysteve]

Now im really confused. On one hand you say that the vaccine is nearly 100% effective, yet you're also saying that even though you are vaccinated, you cant resume life as we knew it? So this is the new norm it appears.

About 2/3 of the country still isn't vaccinated, and globally 96% isn't vaccinated. This pandemic is far from over. Look at India where they are seeing over 400,000 new cases every day.

Much of "normal" life has resumed. Restaurants are open. Movie theaters have started to reopen. Live music is coming back. Broadway announced their reopening plans. There are fans in the stands at sporting events. Air travel is the highest it's been since the pandemic started. Heck, I've flown twice in the past two months myself and my wife is flying again tomorrow. We're going to a Bat Mitzvah in 2 weeks, the first in-person gathering we will have attended in over 14 months.

So yes, we're still wearing a mask. Big deal. It's really not that difficult even though so many people still can't manage to do it right. Other than the mask, what part of "life as we knew it" hasn't at least partially if not fully resumed or is on the verge of resuming?

[ua_guy]

Now im really confused. On one hand you say that the vaccine is nearly 100% effective, yet you're also saying that even though you are vaccinated, you cant resume life as we knew it? So this is the new norm it appears.

The important thing to understand is that pandemics aren't a "switch". They happen on a gradient. We're beginning the exit phase here in the US where people who are vaccinated must help bridge the gap while others become vaccinated. The rate of vaccination rises, and cases/infections/death should begin to fall.

Immunity takes time to build post-vaccination. And there is still the possibility that a vaccinated person can have a breakthrough infection, or become infected while building immunity, and spread it to others, although the chances are reduced. Because so many people are still unvaccinated, it makes sense to observe caution (for self and others) until this thing is truly nipped in the bud.