Why must everything have a political angle? More specifically, why have we allowed the COVID vaccine to become politicalized?
Politics
Sadly, health, science, general well-being, and overall common sense have all become political issues within the United States. Democrats/liberals have collectively chosen to accept science and follow COVID protocols, while Republicans/conservatives have widely chosen to buck the system and do exactly the opposite recommended by science experts just to prove they’re not followers of Democratic principles.
When Democrats decided it was in the best interest of public health to wear masks, Republicans raced to take their masks off. When Democrats lined up in droves to get the vaccine, Republicans refused to get the shot and commanded all their constituents not to get the shot either.
How pathetic!
Why is the COVID vaccine a divisive political issue instead of a concerted effort to save humankind?
By now, we should all know that the only true way to eradicate COVID is by herd immunity (when a disease effectively stops traveling freely between infected people) — and according to the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US won’t reach herd immunity until at least 75% of Americans are vaccinated.
As of today, only 50% of Americans have been vaccinated. However, an estimated 70% of Americans have relaxed or stopped completely following health and safety protocols altogether, including wearing masks and social distancing.
Interestingly, those who have given up on precautionary measures or who absolutely refuse to get the COVID vaccine are doing so for political reasons.
For months, Donald Trump told conservatives that the coronavirus wasn’t as bad as his own health officials warned and that it would “magically go away.” Soon thereafter, several Republican lawmakers including Sens. Rand Paul and Marco Rubio (who wanted to kiss up to Trump and show him unwavering loyalty) began parroting Trump’s flippant words and refused to wear a mask on Capitol Hill.
Republican governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Gregg Abbott of Texas have each signed executive orders against the COVID vaccine. Also, according to The New York Times, 31% of Republicans have said they are likely to skip getting the vaccine while 36% of Americans have admitted they’ve stopped practicing social distancing and other safety measures all within the past week.
The conditioning process of denying scientific data and “refusing to be sheep” has seemingly trickled down the Republican ranks and into conservative communities. Now, it has become the norm that whenever health officials tell everyone to go “up,” Republicans/conservatives have to go “down” just to be different.
How pathetic!
Let’s not make health and safety a political issue. Let’s not choose to get or not get the COVID vaccine simply because of a Democratic or Republican voting record. Instead, let’s use common sense, let’s listen to the science experts in their field, and let’s do what’s right for our families, our neighbors, and for humankind.
OK WASSUP! discusses Politics:
Why is the COVID vaccine political?
New York Times:
A private school in the fashionable Design District of Miami sent its
faculty and staff a letter last week about getting vaccinated against
Covid-19. But unlike institutions that have encouraged and even
facilitated vaccination for teachers, the school, Centner Academy, did
the opposite: One of its co-founders, Leila Centner, informed employees
“with a very heavy heart” that if they chose to get a shot, they would
have to stay away from students.
Teachers who get the vaccine over the summer will not be allowed to
return, the letter said, until clinical trials on the vaccine are
completed, and then only “if a position is still available at that time”
— effectively making teachers’ employment contingent on avoiding the
vaccine.