In past pandemics and epidemics, the two most critical human reactions have been “fear and misinformation”. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, fear reigned among the population because of the unknowns about the nature and spread of the coronavirus. People were more inclined to accept the implementation of public health measures, restricting their movement and activities. As it became clearer as to the dangers of COVID, reflected in the increasing numbers of hospitalizations and resulting deaths, governments had to move quickly to lockdown our daily lives, literally closing schools and businesses. Then, months later, came the miraculous appearance of vaccines against this horrendous disease. They have proven to be safe and reliable for adults 18 and over. Vaccines are now viewed as the single most important weapon against COVID and the current spread of its variants.
It cannot be argued that concerns about vaccine safety are behind vaccination hesitancy, especially in light of the scientific evidence based on the millions of people who have been vaccinated. For example, according to Health Canada, as of Sept. 17, 2021, of 16,090 individual reports of adverse events following vaccination against COVID (0.029 per cent of all doses administered), only 4,288 (0.008 per cent of all administered doses) were considered serious. One would think that this would reassure people and reduce any vaccine-related fears. In addition, statistically, the unvaccinated make up the vast majority of current hospitalizations and COVID-related deaths during the current fourth wave. Let us not forget that about a quarter of Americans age 18 and older reportedly remain unvaccinated.
As for misinformation, regrettably the Internet has continued to play a major role in terms of disseminating misinformation about vaccines and other COVID-related treatments. In recognition of this, public health officials and Internet providers have had to find effective ways to combat such misinformation, not an easy task given the volume of interactions globally. However, with valid and reliable information sources available, one would hope that no one can claim to be so misinformed at this time as to promote vaccine hesitancy.
What is most disconcerting today is the fact that there remains a portion of the population in the U.S. and Canada who still don’t believe in being vaccinated against COVID. Since fear and misinformation shouldn’t play a role, what appears to have happened is the obvious “politicization” of objections to government policies and especially mandates regarding the vaccination of selective groups. What one hears is that being vaccinated is a “personal choice” and should not be mandated in a free society. Even among those objecting to mandated vaccination are first responders, including health care workers, police and firefighters. Moreover, their unions and professional associations appear to be split on the concept of mandated vaccination. Unfortunately, hundreds of their members have died or will die because of the nature of their work and direct high risk interaction with the public. One would think that these first responders would want to be protected against the delta variant, along with their loved ones. For example, in the U.S., COVID was the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths last year, killing at least 182 police officers, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund which tracks such deaths. That’s nearly double the number killed by gun violence and vehicle crashes combined. At least 133 officers have died of COVID so far this year, according to the same organization. In Canada, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions reports that as of September 2021, 54 health care workers have died from COVID-19.
The U.S. has now seen over 700,000 COVID-related deaths. Given the severity of the fourth wave and the fact that being vaccinated is the only recourse for preventing the worst of the pandemic, governments increasingly will be forced to ensure that the vast majority of their populations are vaccinated. Otherwise, there is little doubt that holdouts for COVID vaccination will prolong the pandemic.
FROLITICKS 
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