With each passing week it feels as though it’s becoming as easy to get a COVID-19 vaccine in this country as it is to get a gun, which is almost as easy as getting sand in your shoes at the beach.
One interesting tidbit: according to The Washington Post and the Gun Violence Archive, there were more gun-related deaths in 2020—the year people were asked to stay home and remain socially distant—than there were in almost two decades. The statistic does not include the almost 25,000 gun-related suicides.
This week the CDC gave the green light to health professionals to distribute the Pfizer vaccine to tweens and teens, kids age 12-15.
It was just a short time ago that teens 16 and older were allowed to join their adult counterparts in protecting themselves against the pandemic.
And it was roughly only six months ago when any of the three vaccines were available only to the most vulnerable among us: lines of hopeful recipients snaked their way though streets and mass vaccination centers as they chased after rumors of the miracle drug.
But now it’s an almost come-one come-all atmosphere. With individuals age 12 and older eligible for a shot in the arm the ubiquity of vaccinated people would presumably mean a completely protected society.
The problem, however, is not everyone is getting the message. Or, if they are, they are not listening.
Demand for the vaccine has disappeared, which is notable given that last year the population-at-large was clamoring for an immediate fix.
Wait times that used to be in the hours are now reduced to minutes, which includes the quarter hour post-vaccination observation period.
Part of the reason for the decline is many have already received their needed doses.
But there are others who are avoiding the vaccine for personal or political reasons. There are enough “no thank yous” in this country that health experts are convinced herd immunity is out of reach. What’s a country to do?
Maybe one solution in the U.S. is to offer a free handgun with every vaccine. After all, the gun violence epidemic seems hardly to matter. A gun giveaway might be one way of ensuring a healthy shot in the arm. For once.
