Still too many hesitant

According to ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations, 3.47M of the population have already received at least one dose of the vaccine. That's roughly 3.16% of the population. The data they have for May 25 so this number may have already changed. The government is claiming 5.18 million doses of the vaccine have been administered. We are still far from the 70% of the population the administration targets to achieve herd immunity. The government has ramped up its call on those eligible for vaccination and the president himself stressing all brands are effective.

But as more and more people want to get vaccinated especially with vaccines from America such as Pfizer and Moderna entering the country, it becomes clear that many more do not want to get vaccinated for various reasons. Fear of side effects, fear of needles, the reluctance of a vaccine made in a specific country, or lack of trust in the vaccine are some of the reasons. And the problem is not unique to the country.

In America, almost half of their population has received the vaccine. But the rest refuse for a similar variety of reasons with one added issue. Vaccination or the refusal to get the jabs have turned political because it turns out most of those who do not want to be vaccinated are supporters of former president Donald Trump and his party. A controversial lawmaker even compared vaccination and the continued wearing of face masks for those unvaccinated to the Holocaust in which six million Jews were killed by the Nazis during World War II. Naturally, this comparison did not sit well with many, including her party mates. But such is the situation in America where the division between the two parties and their supporters has intensified, largely to blame on Trump and his continued peddling of the election being stolen from him. I thought only losing Philippine politicians constantly claim election fraud.

Experts fear if a large number of the world's population refuse to get vaccinated, then we may have to live with COVID for an unknown length of time. The rationale of herd immunity is the virus has fewer and fewer hosts to infect until it naturally dies off. But if an abundance of hosts persists, then the virus will continue to replicate itself. That would be unacceptable. We have lived in a world turned on its head by COVID-19 for more than a year and all of us want to get back to a normal life. Meet family and friends, work, have fun, and enjoy. The simple things that have been taken away by COVID. This may make those unwilling to be vaccinated anathema to this world.