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Study: One in five Bostonians don't plan to get a Covid-19 shot
By adamg on Fri, 01/15/2021 - 9:51am
The Dorchester Reporter reports on a study by UMass Boston, which says the number is way higher among Black Bostonians: Some 50% say they have little or no interest in a shot.
“The reasons for the disparities identified by this research are complex and deep-seated – from cultural differences to the assault on science to the horrific history of medical experimentation and abuse that was especially acute in U.S. racialized populations. It’s understandable why some folks might be skeptical,” said UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco.
At a press conference yesterday, Marty Martinez, Boston's chief of health and human services, acknowledged such findings and said that in addition to steps such as setting up a mass-vaccination site at the Reggie Lewis Center, the city will be working with community groups to try to convince minority Bostonians that the vaccine is both safe and effective in preventing a potentially fatal disease.
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Comments
Honestly
I've had it - lost sense of smell / taste for about 3 days, nothing more. As a healthy 27-year old, I think the chances of me getting complications from the shot are much higher than getting complications from COVID itself. Unless a much deadlier strain comes along that starts proving legitimately dangerous for people my age, I'll pass for the time being. <40 with no pre-existing health conditions - recovery rate is 99.999999%.
Let me paraphrase for you
Sounds a lot like, "I'm fine, and I don't give a shit about the health or life of anyone to whom I might transmit the disease."
Or maybe, "I've driven drunk. Few minor errors on the way home, nothing more. I'm going t keep doing it."
If I get the shot, don't I then have immunity
to covid? So what difference will it make to me whether anyone else gets the shot?
You know the answer to your own question
You know the answer to your own question but I’ll repeat it anyway. No vaccine confers absolute immunity. Vaccines work by reducing the chances of you getting sick if exposed, and by reducing the chance of you being exposed (because others around you have also been vaccinated). The simple arithmetic by which the two factors work together is what makes vaccines effective in stopping diseases.
Deadlier strain
Have you not seen the news about the new more infectious variant that’s already in the US?
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/expert-answer...
There are no major side effects to the covid vaccine. As I said below, I understand not getting the vaccine because of deep historical mistrust of the medical establishment based on deep-seeded racial inequities in health care. But this is you putting your own needs above the health of everyone, because as a 27 year old getting covid wasn’t a big deal for YOU. You seem to not realize that other people who get covid could die or be seriously ill. Not to mention your immunity won’t last forever, so you could get covid again and it could be much worse the 2nd time around.
More reasons
I saw a headline somewhere, of some study that said it usually IS worse the second time someone catches it.
Also somewhere else, I saw the claim that a vaccinated person was likely to develop better immunity than someone who had had a mild case.
Sorry I can't be more specific, I don't remember the details.
And how do we end up with a
And how do we end up with a more infectious variant?
By immunocompromised people staying sick for a long time, giving the virus a chance to mutate. Give the virus enough chances and it will overcome the vaccine.
Anyone who refuses vaccination is putting EVERYONE at risk, not just themselves and other unvaccinated people.
And as Fauci said, we don't know the long-term effects yet. Other viruses like chicken pox and herpes stay in your body and can flare up again years later. Just because some people recover or are asymptomatic doesn't mean the virus is no big deal.
Normally
Normally I would be happy for him to put his life at risk since I'm a fan of natural selection and culling the herd of the bottom end of our species, but in this case the failure to get vaccinated could cause a worthwhile human to have a serious problem.
This isn't about the young. It is about the 80 year old woman and heart disease survivor who is locked in her house unable to see her grandkids or anyone else who stands to die for your stupidity. Yes, she's my mom but she represents millions.
Healthy young adults can also
Healthy young adults can also catch whooping cough or measles and pretty much be fine with a few down days. We still get vaccinated for these things because it provides a blanket of protection for those who either can't get vaccinated (children, immunocompromised folks) or those who are too stupid and selfish to do their part.
Problem is when that second group is too big, the whole system falls apart.
We should change our national motto
We should change our national motto to more accurately reflect the utter disregard for others that seems to have become a prominent feature of our national culture. I propose, "I'm OK, Jack, fuck you."
There's a political party ...
one that doesn't have that as its motto, but should.
To be fair, most of the
To be fair, most of the people refusing vaccine in Boston vote blue.
Because most everyone in
Because most everyone in Boston votes blue. Nationally it’s republicans refusing the vaccine by large numbers.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.medicalnewstoday.com/amp/articles/which...
Nice for you
I'm sure the people who still haven't recovered their sense of smell, or respiratory function, or those still dealing with memory loss (not to mention hair loss) are all incredibly happy for you.
I dont see the problem with
I dont see the problem with what you're proposing. This actually makes perfect sense. The side effects are a very real concern for a lot of people. Why risk it if you are likley to survive the virus without issue? Let the 4 out of 5 Bostonians who are at risk from covid get the vaccine. The 1 in 5 who are likely to survive the virus after a short few days of illness will be fine and those not in this group will also be fine ... because they got the vaccine. You can't infect people who got the vaccine. Your 80 y/o neighbor is going to be fine - because she got the vaccine. It's science.
And the 1 in 5 know
they aren't likely to suffer a serious infection how? There are many more people who were young and healthy and died from the infection than those who have had serious side effects from the vaccine.
In conclusion...
In conclusion, one in five Bostonians believe themselves to be above this whole science thing and not in the mood to participate in this little game of "Keep people from getting sick while reopening the economy." And as a side effect, the study also finds that 20% of the populace is really stupid.
Since we're dealing with negationists who have no legitimate reason for being vaccinated, debating with them is a waste of time. The only way to solve this problem is to provide financial and recreational incentives to them. Sign everyone up for the vaccine and when their turn comes, turn off all their government services until they get one. No drivers license, no booze, no Keno, no public transportation, no passport, no fly list, no stimulus check, no school, no casino, no unemployment, no trespassing, you get the picture.
Cruel and unusual? Sure, but so is letting 4,000 people die per day without doing the bare minimum to prevent it.
Herd Immunity?
Herd stupidity.
Thanks for helping me and my family get to the front of the line for the shot faster.
I understand minority
I understand minority communities not trusting the medical world. They have been brutalized in the name of science and then are then usually dismissed when dealing w/ the medical establishment.
Stop patronizing 'minority
Stop patronizing 'minority communities' as you put it. Boston is a minority-majority city. There are many people of color who are working tirelessly to protect ALL communities in Boston through science and facts! -- this is life or death, stop with your anti-science propaganda!
It's a bad decision but it's not stupidity.
There's a history of black Americans being treated pretty horribly by the medical and scientific community. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Syphilis_Study is one of the more well-known examples.
The distrust stemming from that kind of maltreatment is not brushed aside easily.
However, my suspicion is that regardless of reason for vaccine hesitancy, people will become much more willing to get the vaccine once they start seeing lots of other people getting it and doing fine.
I Had No Idea About Tuskegee
I'm kidding. I have known about it for years yet somehow it is a wonderful trope trotted out by people whitesplaining things for the rest of us.
The British attacked my ancestors, yet somehow I am doing ok speaking English.
I'll take science over stupidity any and every day.
OK!
OK well if you say Tuskegee and medical racism is a "trope" I guess it is and we should just ignore it, because Johh Costello said so. Thank you so much for your helpful comment.
It's a bad decision, and
It's a bad decision, and stupidity, and it's patronizing to rationalize it with things that took place almost a hundred years ago.
If these people were white and denying US election results, as opposed to being black denying the value of vaccines, then nobody here would be rationalizing their behavior.
That one experiment only ended in 1972
when it was brought to the national press.
Your explanation for why Black Bostonians
Have a much higher "no vaccine" response is why? You obviously have better insights than many of the commentators here.
Historical trauma
I'm in public health and work in national COVID-19 response (but not on the clinical side). This is upsetting to hear but I understand it. The legacy of horrible events such as the Tuskegee Syphillis experiment, along with so much else, is real and damning and has caused a lot of historical trauma in the Black communities. And these racial health inequities have been even more pronounced during this pandemic with BIPOC suffering much more than whites.
I of course support the vaccine and encourage people to take it. I hope that community groups and community health workers around Boston can speak with these groups and dispell myths and respectfully encourage vaccine usage.
Gotta think 1/10 at least just won't get it....
because they just don't want to make an appointment to get it. Maybe more than that.
Damned if we do....
In the worst days of the pandemic here in Boston, people of color were often the most hard-hit. People complained that we need to do something to help them. OK, we now have a vaccine. We should absolutely give shots to the people who need it most and that's POC then let's get it done. To hear that 50% of Black Bostonians will refuse the vaccine leaves me to throw my hands in the air.
I am afraid of giving Covid to someone else
I have a high tolerance for pain. I have frequently been sick without knowing. I have had 6 negative COVID tests because I have to work in person at least some of the time. I won't be surprised if I have side effects but it seems worth it, if I won't be able to pass it on to anyone else.
"if I won't be able to pass it on to anyone else."
Problem is, that hasn't been proven yet.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/01/12/956051995/why-you-s...
The vaccine
Doesnt make you immune from spreading it, it minimizes your chance of dying from it.
Hence the reason they keep saying masks will continue to be necessary even after vaccination.
Unknown how much vaccine prevents spread yet
Take care to keep up masking, social distancing, and reducing outside household contact to minimums, if you want to avoid potential spreading of Covid. It's not known yet how much the vaccines prevent spread of Covid. It seems like it would reduce viral load, which in theory will reduce transmissibility, but no one knows to what extent yet. The vaccine is only shown to protect against Covid symptoms in 94-95% of cases.
That will make you immune to serious Covid illness, but potentially could turn us into typhoid Marys, if we don't continue precautions. I too was hoping the vaccine would prevent me from spreading the virus, but unfortunately, no real world proof of this yet either way.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/health/covid-vaccine-mask.html
6 hospitals around me and I
6 hospitals around me and I don't know where to go.
when do Security Guards get their shots?
Not too worried about that, yet...
We are not even close to vaccinating 1/5 people who actually want it right now.
Public perceptions have been changing quite a bit over the last few years (Its months, but feels like years).
I'm sure more will come around soon enough, but it kind of feels like a high quality problem to have in our current environment where there isn't enough vaccine to go around for those that want it.
Public health officials need
Public health officials need to start working on this NOW.
Get community leaders on board. Start an ad campaign to convince people. Incentives. Restrictions. Whatever it takes.
Minority Bostonians will die if we don't.