Vaccination Hesitation

It has come to this: in the U.S., society is so divisive and untrusting, that we may never see an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's a crying shame. "I'm not going to listen to what the government says," says one contrarian. From there, the excuses range from the sublime to the ridiculous.

"I'm not a sheep." "I'd rather die than comply." "I don't really hang around people anyway." "I call the shots." "I'm not a lab rat." And on and on. The fact is that vaccine hesitancy remains a stubborn obstacle in defeating the pandemic. Public service announcements, even bribes, simply aren't working.

Unfortunately, the political polarization has created a reaction of division and anger, which has fueled widespread refusal to take the life-saving vaccines. Other countries, particularly China and Russia, see the inability of the U.S. to bring the pandemic under control as a sign of weakness.

Sad fact: vaccine hesitancy is a direct result of divisive politics in this country. People now believe they are on their own and responsible only for themselves. This means an important source of vaccine hesitancy is loss of the idea of a common good. To beat the pandemic, attitudes must change.