Biden just needs to get a little creative.
Only half the people in the United States have been fully vaccinated. In America and other countries with more vials of vaccines than people willing to take them, you may have seen Facebook posts chiding those forgoing the shots, assuming selfishness or stupidity. The thing is, the unvaccinated are not all anti-vaccination, they aren't all cavalier about their neighbors' health, and they don't necessarily think they're invincible. As Spencer Bokat-Lindell explained this week, this group is not a monolith. |
A WhatsApp group I'm in with friends has reflected the nuances. When the vaccines became available in Britain, a number of my friends aired their doubts about the safety of the shots and the reliability of Covid guidelines when government advice — there and in America — had been inconsistent, confusing and susceptible to politics. We talked it over, and they have since gotten their first dose. But I'm fairly certain dismissing their concerns or chastising them wouldn't have endeared them to the cause. |
Young people in particular should "have access to tailored information that addresses concerns about side effects and safety in detail," Rainesford Stauffer and Abdullah Shihipar argued in an essay this week. They pointed to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed "a top reason people under 40 say they are unsure about getting vaccinated is that they're concerned about potential side effects." |
Others can't afford to take time off work or recover if they get hit by side effects. "Those who aren't yet vaccinated are much more likely to be food insecure, have children at home and earn little," said Bryce Covert. "Many of them have pressing concerns they can't just put aside because they need to get a vaccination." |
President Biden recently said he has struck a "brick wall" in persuading more Americans to get the shot, calling them "unvaccinated, unbothered and unconvinced." Covert argues that Biden needs to get creative instead of critical if he wants to increase vaccine uptake. If we're serious about spending the time and resources, she said, there's plenty we can do. I'd hasten to agree. Because if our current political moment should tell us anything, it's that casting blame and judgment serves only to alienate the very people you're trying to win over. |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment