Tag: Vaccination

“America’s back, baby!”: Vaccine diplomacy can put America back on the global map

~Sabith Khan, PhD

Is America’s standing in the world getting better with President Biden at the helm? Initial data seems to suggest that this hasn’t yet happened. However, not all is lost. One of the ways that this can be accelerated is through vaccine diplomacy.

As a recent media report pointed out, the commitment by the US to give away about 500 million vaccines is a significant commitment towards a humanitarian crisis. It ought to be recognized for what it is – a gesture of goodwill and a commitment to addressing the largest humanitarian crisis that we as a human race have faced in our lifetimes.

us vaccine diplomacy
source: flickr.com/photos

While the US is still a hegemon of sorts, it is facing stiff competition from China and other global powers, as they jockey to dominate the globe with their money and resources. One of the resources that has emerged as a strong contender in COVID times is the humble vaccine. 

India is still working through its second wave, which has killed hundreds of thousands – some estimate millions – of citizens. I have personally witnessed a few deaths in my own family and extended friends’ networks. This has to be the most devastating tragedy that Indians have faced collectively, perhaps since the partition of the country in 1947, when an estimated one million people were killed in the rioting that ensued.

Other parts of the world, including Latin America and Africa, are also still reeling from the effects of COVID-19 and the lack of vaccines and basic health infrastructure that are plaguing these societies. In addition to these circumstances, misinformation is rampant in many of these societies (including in the US), stopping people from getting vaccinated.

So, while “America is back” may be a good political slogan, translating that into implementable actions will be harder than one imagines. 

The alternative – one in which the US sits on the sidelines and does nothing – is not an option. That was certainly the action taken by Mr. Trump, causing devastation not just within the US, with hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths, but also massive chaos and suffering around the world. 

Delivering those millions of vaccines to countries that have dilapidated healthcare systems and steep nepotism and corruption, along with ensuring that millions get vaccinated is going to be a long and hard battle for all parties involved.

How We Overcame the Fear of the COVID-19 Vaccine

~Leonard Casiple

The COVID-19 pandemic response has upended the very essence of humanity by constraining social interaction, mandating indoor seclusion, and making us flinch at the thought of outdoor bustle.

Even the elegance of the lingering waft of perfume and cologne has been supplanted by the shock of quickly-dissipating rubbing alcohol and sanitizers.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Every connection has become a long-distance relationship.

Gone are the days of bear hugs and high fives. Our need for social contact has been abbreviated into a momentary fist bump. Today, the essence of closeness and community is measured in 6-foot increments. The closeness that breaks the mandated “bubble” is frowned upon as a lack of civility.

How long will we tolerate to live this way?

Straitjacketed by social distancing, we are free but confined. We are shackled to a mark on the floor until safe to move to the next comfortable X. The mask suffocates at inhalation. At exhalation, the facial cloak inhibits the utterance of frustration.

Vaccinate or Vacillate?

At any given moment, we can find information either to support vaccination or to contradict the opposition. The ubiquity of conflicting information can confuse the finest of us. Perpetual analysis based on an unhealthy dose of doubt can lead to an endless cycle of posturing, blaming, and story-crafting.

If not careful, an intense but partial study can lead to the wrong rationalization. Groups can become comfortably befuddled by the mantra of their echo chambers.

Our Family’s Experience.

As a child, I grew up in a developing country where the disease was rampant. I was fortunate to get on the public health immunization schedule. The vaccines spared me from the devastation of diseases such as polio and tuberculosis that affected some of my neighbors.

As a soldier in the US Army, I was immunized to preserve my health while working in austere environments. The US military, as a matter of force preservation, requires its personnel to stay current on all vaccinations.  As a condition for being stationed overseas, my wife and children were also vaccinated.  With vaccination, my wife who is a nurse can continue the work that she loves with less apprehension.

The National Stance.

Since the late 1800s, the US has required medical examinations of immigrants, and much later added vaccination as a condition for entry. Applicants who are found to be carriers of diseases of public health significance are excluded from entry.

When done in combination – the vaccination of the majority and the exclusion of a few – the measures have protected this country from debilitating and life-altering diseases.

Because of the effectiveness of the control measures at entry points, we are oblivious to the screening process that silently protects us. Because we are generally healthy, we fail to appreciate the long-term positive results of inoculation.

The benefits of induced immunity have allowed this country to maintain its economic momentum, and in turn, we are able to keep our hopes and dreams on schedule.

How We Handle the Fear.

My wife and I worry about the virus as well as the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine.  We are also concerned about the long-term health of our college-age sons.

Although we instituted a few financial security measures, untimely death or disability during the pandemic will be a difficult ordeal.

To quell the fears, we discussed options and established contingency plans.

Our Tiered Approach.

We will live courageously with a bias towards positivity. We will not allow this virus to keep us at bay. To minimize the impact, my family will get vaccinated in stages.

As a front-line worker, my wife will be vaccinated first.  If she experiences a negative reaction, I will wait so I can take care of her until her condition improves. Our sons will be vaccinated last.

We envision our family thriving, socializing, and traveling (again) as the result of the COVID-19 vaccine program.

From my point of view, I am not taking a plunge into the unknown. Instead, vaccination is the forward lunge that will dislodge the consuming grip of the pandemic.

How about you? How do you plan to live the best parts of your life?