In a comment on a Washington Post article, the person wrote that the rest of us shouldn't try to impose vaccination on a "small minority." I commented that 33% of the population is 109 million people. That's not small ("As Omicron Spreads and Cases Soar, the Unvaccinated Remain Defiant," New York Times).
Hospital systems and public health departments never thought they'd have to plan for 33% of the population actively refusing vaccinations in the face of a pandemic and the consequences that would result--an overwhelming of ICU and emergency care departments.
The hospital systems in the Cleveland region put an ad in the Cleveland Plain Dealer calling on people to get vaccination ("Ohio hospitals urge COVID-19 vaccinations in powerful ad," NBC Today).
It's hard to say what's going on with the virus. Omicron appears to be better at evading the power of the vaccine unless you are boosted ("Omicron is a game-changer for Covid-19 vaccines," CNN). It's much more contagious, but less deadly. Even so, people who are vaccinated are much less likely to experience severe symptoms, the need for hospitalization, or the likelihood of death.
I am totally unable to process how 33% of the population could be so fundamentally bad at calculating risk.
First they ran short of PPE, then ventilators. Now, the shortage is hospital staff.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/12/30/hospitals-staffing-shortages-omicron/
The Washington Post: Perspective | The 1918 flu is even more relevant in 2022 thanks to omicron.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/01/03/1918-flu-is-even-more-relevant-2022-thanks-omicron/