Washingtonians have worked hard over the past year to slow the spread of COVID-19 as we have waited for light at the end of the tunnel. Now the end is finally in sight.
As vaccinations rise, cases are eventually going to hit a tipping point and drop. How quickly that happens will depend on convincing more people to take the jab. Gov. Jay Inslee’s recent announcement on how we should act once vaccinated may have the unintended effect of slowing that progress. After all, if the only change in people’s lives will be that they can remove their mask … if they’re outside … and not too close to people, then the message that’s sent is that the jab isn’t worth it. That it doesn’t actually provide real protection.
It seems like a more effective strategy is to tell vaccinated people that they can live substantially normal lives. That they are not in danger themselves, nor a threat to others. To overcome “vaccine hesitancy,” we must overcome “vaccinated hesitancy.” If we want to cross the finish line with the most people vaccinated as soon as possible, then we must show that the vaccine is as effective as we’ve been told. If we want people to believe that the vaccine is effective, then we must act as if it is.
