Resistance to the COVID-19 Vaccine is like a Scene from a Disaster Movie

Fiction has become reality.

In states where vaccine injection rates are low, the COVID-19 variant, the Delta Variant, has increased infections by 47 percent(per C NN). It’s not due to a lack of information (although the CDC needs to be consistent with their data). Fear prevents many people from getting their shots. But some people aren’t getting the vaccine for political reasons. And this twisted thinking is endangering the entire country.

It reminds me of so many disaster movies I’ve watched over the years. There was The Day After Tomorrow, a movie involving extreme climate change. Contagion, a movie about a dangerous virus, parallels what’s happening around the world. What these two movies have in common are ignorant people who were in denial about the coming danger. By the time the danger presented itself, it was too late. They died.

This is what’s happening now. Pfizer and Moderna are talking about booster shots. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has recorded side effects in some users. This explains the fear of some people. But for those who are against the current Biden/Harris administration, this helps their political agenda.

Many Republicans at a recent CPAC event applauded when it was announced the vaccine goal Biden predicted had fallen short. As a nation, we were able to get 67 percent of the population vaccinated. Biden had wanted 70 percent of the population vaccinated by July 4th.

In addition, Republicans across the country have been adding fuel to the fears of their base by making claims that people will come to their homes and take their bibles away if they don’t get the shots. What?! What does the bible have to do with getting a vaccination? This is not a religious endeavor. This is a medical endeavor. We’re still in the midst of a global pandemic.

The FDA has yet to authorize the vaccines for ordinary use. All of the vaccines were given emergency authorization. But the final authorization has yet to be done. Why? Per CNN, if the FDA authorized the vaccines for ordinary use, 49 percent of people would get their shots. So why is there a hold-up on the final authorization?

The vaccines must be given final approval. In the meantime, I would urge scientists and medical experts to get the word out in their states about the importance of getting the vaccine. Currently, the increase in infections is happening among adults under the age of 30. Hospitals are seeing more and more young people in their ICUs. Their illnesses are more severe due to the Delta Variant. Many of the people diagnosed with the variant were not vaccinated.

We need, as a country, to pump the breaks on the rising infections. Most disaster movies don’t end well. Some disaster movies led to the creation of dystopian societies. Countries became wastelands with marauding tribes fighting for limited resources. In some places, this is already the case. If we don’t want this to be on a global scale, we need to get as many people vaccinated as possible.

The Delta Variant won’t be the last variant. It may be the prelude to something even worse. Let’s put the politics aside and work together to get as many people vaccinated as possible. Then, help other countries increase their vaccination rates. By doing so, we can avoid the disaster and have a happy ending.