Let me answer the obvious first.
There are those who will not be convinced, persuaded, reasoned with, ordered, bullied, or otherwise even try to become vaccinated. Not against covid, not against flu, not against shingles, measles, mumps, diphtheria, rubella, polio, tetanus, or anything else.
They have already decided.
They have already made up their minds.
They know all there is to know about it, no matter what variations come along and no matter what new discoveries, or prognoses come along.
They have made up their decision.
This is not for or about them. There are many people out there still studying, still wishing, still wanting to, but...
This is to give them a voice, however small.
One of the biggest changes in administration of the covid vaccine is that now the more at risk people are being encouraged to go for it. After time has shown a good 'protection' record -- not necessarily prevention -- and that the vaccine itself poses less -- but not zero -- risk of contracting the illness, it's been decided by medical professionals that the risk is on the side of vaccines.
There are always risks. People -- persons -- are individual and react individually. DNA and environment and nutritional and attitude all combine to make the reaction to heal or to hell.
THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES.
There never have been.
However.
What is stopping those that want to, but?
Here are a few answers.
The vaccines are usually mostly available in high traffic areas. Usually in or around pharmacies or hospital/clinics where sick people gather.
Even with an appointment, you have to wait.
In crowds.
Of sick people.
This is not a good idea for anyone who is even partially at risk for contagion.
Another problem is that there are no clear protocols for how/when/where to go once you reach the facility.
In the pharmacy, do you go to sign in at the drop-off for prescriptions, at the pick-up for prescriptions, in the waiting area with no window? Or somewhere else entirely? And remember that each of these areas will probably be filled with coughing, sneezing, feverish, sweating, people who don't want to be there either.
In a facility, do you go to admitting, or through an ER or Urgent Care, or maybe straight to the lab? Do you, as a patient, know where any or all of these areas are?
Why do the signs say "Walk-ins welcome. Make an appointment first."?
Are the hours posted clearly?
Is there anyone working that specific area during the posted hours? Or are the 'preventive' people having to mingle with the contagious ones?
Why is everyone saying free with no insurance necessary, and the next line reads, bring your insurance cards?
At this point, especially with the alphabetically named surges shoving each other out of the way, it seems/feels/is more endangering to go out in search of the vaccine than it is to stay home, mask, sanitize, and ding-dong-ditch deliveries.
After nearly two years, and now that out efforts have turned to the more at-risk persons, can we not have some logical organization that applies to everyone? If only signs at each establishment specifying each step needed.
Not sign-in at pharmacy. Sign in at row b line 3.
Not go straight to lab with orders; only to be worked-in in-between patients who do have orders.
These things were done better at first, but the organizations seem to have fallen away as we are getting down to the people who need it the most.
Let's fix this, so that everyone who WANTS to, CAN DO.
