It’s time

Things change after Labour Day weekend. Summer is over. Not phenologically— but psychically, the world shifts profoundly next week. Many will go back to school. Some back to work. We will make plans. New commitments. We are all a bit more serious after Labour Day. Sit a bit straighter. Work a bit harder toward our better selves.

So let’s resolve to extinguish Covid-19 this fall. Let’s make a mighty push to end the misery, hardship and death that has made us all prisoners and fearful of one another these past 18 months. It seems clear enough—vaccines are our best chance at overcoming the SARSCoV- 2 virus—our best chance to return to a semblance of our former lives. But we need to do it together.

As of Monday, 72 per cent of folks eligible in our region—12 and older—had been double vaccinated, according to the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health site. This is good. But as many as 25,000 people eligible to get the vaccine in this region have not done so yet. Plus, there are approximately 23,000 children not yet able to receive the vaccine. We have more to do.

We are inspired by Shire Hall’s initiative to bring the vaccine out to those who, for whatever reason, have not got the jab yet. Over four clinics operated by the HPE Public Health Unit —one in Wellington, one in Consecon and two in Picton last week—133 people were vaccinated. Three more clinics operated by the HPE Public Health Unit and facilitated by Shire Hall dispensed vaccines in Waupoos, Cherry Valley and Picton yesterday. More are coming. This is terrific.

Another initiative is aimed at construction workers with mobile clinics visiting home building sites in Picton and Rossmore. Also great. But more is needed.

We must do more to persuade folks between the ages of 18 and 39 to step up. (Interestingly, a greater percentage of children in Hastings Prince Edward between the ages of 12 to 17 are vaccinated than are 18- to 29- year-olds—even though the vaccine was only made available to them in May.) It is an opportunity.

There are no more hurdles. No reasonable ones in any event. Aside from mobile clinics, No Frills and Rexall Pharma Plus in Picton as well as the Rossmore Pharmacy, are offering the vaccine by appointment most days. Walk-in clinics will continue in Picton on September 13 and 27.

There are no supply issues, no long lines, no major impediments. There is little point, however, in holding walk-in clinics if the folks we need to get the vaccine aren’t motivated to show up. Mobile clinics are an essential and creative first step. But we must also find new ways to reach these folks— more targeted messages, more explaining, greater ease of access. We must ensure the incentives are clear and the messages are presented persuasively to this cohort.

We are impressed that Shire Hall has grasped this challenge and taking meaningful steps to get more folks vaccinated.

It is time, however, that we draw clear lines for those who choose to remain unvaccinated.

No vaccination? No school. No sports. No clubs. No church. No Theatres. No large indoor gatherings.

The Dukes are set to return to the ice later this month. We should know that everyone else in the rink is double vaxxed. It is a reasonable limitation— not the first step toward a totalitarian regime as some suggest. How many waves of death and hospitalizations must we endure before we say enough is enough?

Philosophically, I tend to reside on the libertarian end of the political spectrum. I am reflexively wary and sceptical of collective action and prefer personal responsibility and decision-making. But this way of thinking isn’t absolute.

We restrict folks from causing mayhem on our highways. We require education and training before we let folks get behind the wheel of a car. We have rules of the road and the means to enforce them. We have a collective interest in everyone getting home safely.

We require vaccinations. We do this because we want to protect our children from polio, or tetanus or diphtheria or pertussis. The list is long. It represents a triumph in human achievement.

It has not led us to tyranny or oppression. The opposite actually—it has brought us freedom.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca