Now that the first COVID-19 vaccine is available and ready for distribution, about 30% of Americans say they are unwilling to receive it and another 10% are uncertain. Of course, in these politically charged times, when even the use of a mask is considered to be an infringement on our personal freedom and when a small but significant percentage of the population still believe the pandemic is a hoax, being asked to get vaccinated is a bridge too far.
Then there are those who worry that the entire process of vaccine development was unsafely rushed and those young, healthy individuals who feel that they are immune to complications from the virus. Finally, a sizable segment of our society leans on mysticism to guide their life and therefore distrust science in all of its forms.
We thus face another potential crisis in our effort to combat COVID-19. If we cannot convince at least 70% of the population to receive the vaccine, we will not reach herd immunity and the virus will continue to circulate in our society. Hopefully, the Biden Administration will do a far better job of providing science-based facts that are willingly accepted by the American public; if not, the pandemic will continue until enough humans are culled to halt its spread.
