Yesterday evening, I read that America is something like 4% of the world’s population and has used about 20% of the COVID-19 vaccine.
And I thought I was feeling bad before! I wrote here a couple months ago about how guilty I felt when I managed to get a Pfiser shot weeks before other disabled people younger than 65 were eligible to get vaccinated.
It didn’t help when, on the news yesterday, there were nightmarish scenes from India, where COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed, leaving the country’s already weak medical system decimated. Not only are there no more hospital beds, the oxygen supply is very low. And it’s said that cases will go up in the coming weeks.
What do we do about this? Do we say that it’s a shame, like it’s a shame that more black and brown people in this country are getting sick with and dying from COVID-19 than white people and are getting less of the vaccine than white people? Do we just thank our lucky stars that we’re not in India and be grateful when we get the vaccine?
The problem is that this isn’t as simple as a guilt trip. The virus knows no boundaries and knows no limits in variants, which will eventually become immune to the vaccines. Sure, we can sit back and feel bad for those poor Indians and black and brown folks, but we may all end up suffering.
well said john, covering all the points, guilt, fear, disparity I would only wish to write as well.
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