I’m having a bit of trouble with the current attitude of a lot of people. I’m referring to the 80 million Americans who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.
As of today, September 15, 2021, the CDC statistics say 179.7 million Americans (54.1% of the total population) are “fully vaccinated” against COVID-19. That means that 45.9% of Americans, or 151.9 million, are not! A significant percentage of that 152 million are children under age 12, teenagers, or young adults who have not been emboldened to get vaccinated. That leaves some 80 million American adults who are unvaccinated.
Interestingly, my age group (those over age 65) has an excellent vaccination acceptance rate. 82.6% of America’s seniors are fully vaccinated. It stands to reason that the most vulnerable age group for acquiring and succumbing to COVID-19 are the people who have eagerly accepted vaccination. We grew up in the age of polio vaccine, smallpox vaccinations, etc. that protected us against feared childhood diseases. We are nowhere near as anti-vax as younger generations. I personally know of no one my age who has refused it.
There seems to be a lot of political resentment in play with those who reject it, and paranoia is rampant. People believe crazy things about the vaccine—ideas like the vaccine contains microchips to track your movements, or it changes your DNA, or it contains ingredients that cause an electromagnetic field at the injection site, or it can cause infertility in both genders. These are myths that have been foisted upon people who should know better.
The notion that being forced to be vaccinated is infringing on one’s civil liberties is ludicrous as well. Yes, we all have, or should have, the right to decide whether we want the vaccine, or if we want chemotherapy, or if we want life sustaining measures used when we are near death. Those are choices we have. But we also have a responsibility to not make a situation worse than it already is. It is true that being vaccinated protects us, but it also protects others. My problem is even though people know what COVID-19 has done to the economy, jobs, and human life, they still don’t see why they need the vaccine.
The safety issue is a moot point! After vaccinating 179.7 million Americans over 9-10 months, we have not seen any wholesale predominant adverse effects. Yes, we’ve all heard of people who knew someone who heard of a friend or relative who had this or that reaction, but the number of serious reactions has been small compared to the number of people vaccinated. The total of people vaccinated already far exceeds the number of people any clinical trial might enroll. So the vaccines have been tested far beyond what would be a normal amount. And it’s free.
If you’re avoiding the vaccine because you don’t trust the pharmaceutical industry, the federal government, the medical profession, the FDA, or President Biden, you’re making a mistake. Anyone who refuses any vaccine (tetanus, polio, measles, COVID-19, whatever) is putting themselves at high risk of getting a potentially fatal disease. They’re also putting family and friends at risk. While those who compare the unvaccinated to the Taliban or ISIS are cruel, ridiculous, and politically motivated, there is justification to call the unvaccinated irresponsible.
If it’s a political statement you’re making, make it some other way that doesn’t put you and other folks at great risk. Yeah, maybe your civil liberties are being stomped on a bit by forced vaccination, but you are stomping on the civil liberties of everyone around you when you don’t get vaccinated. They have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness just like you.
Reference: https://www.covid.cdc.gov
