Forty percent of the population has gotten a flu shot this year. Down from nearly 80% in past years. This is why the flu is rampant, causing schools, colleges, nursing homes and average households to suffer unnecessary suffering and expense. Loss of work, education and social opportunities cost us all in ways we cannot always see. The economy will never fully recover if this continues.
COVID is here to stay, to wax and wane until we’re all vaccinated. In other words, it’s here forever thanks to those who refuse to educate themselves, repeat the same baseless refrain of, “I’ve had it twice and I’m fine, COVID is over, I’ve got immunities built up because I work with elders or kids and my favorite … I’ve got vaccine fatigue.” Must be exhausting to have to get up every day, brush your teeth, prepare food and wipe yourself, as it gets pretty tedious. Phew, the fatigue must be brutal, fatigue of life? What are they talking about, vaccine fatigue? No one seems fatigued waiting in line for 30 minutes for a $4 cup of coffee.
Now the flu is raging, not because we’ve worn masks for three years, instead it’s because the usual number of vaccinated are “fatigued” and haven’t gotten the flu shot they always received in past years or their latest COVID booster. Many have simply forgotten about hand washing. Admit it, we’ve all forgotten too! It’s a lot. The exhaustion from hand washing and getting shots, I can’t imagine what it must be like but I’m not tired yet.
In the long run, it boils down to a simple and blatant lack of caring for our fellow humans, adhering to our feelings, our preconceived notions, rather than availing ourselves of knowledge and science, that is keeping these two viruses circulating, overwhelming hospitals, drug stores, doctor offices, etc. We need to stay informed without returning to social media and listening to misinformation. Call your local board of health, call your child’s pediatrician, call your own doctor, research the Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical or your local hospital or local government website for true and valuable information. Our own board of health offers information in this newspaper!
In the words of a young woman from Ukraine who is building shelters for war ravaged survivors, “Every day is a holiday when you’re alive.” Preventable diseases are killing people; it doesn’t have to be this way.
Get vaccinated, for someone else, keep someone alive so they can have another holiday, too. Think of it as a gift, from science.
Ellen Villani is a retired cook, caregiver and volunteer who lives in Greenfield.