British Columbia announced Tuesday it’s ramping up its vaccination campaign over the next two weeks in an effort to reach the approximately 20 per cent of the population who haven’t had a shot yet. If you’re counting, that’s still over 900,000 people. Which is quite a lot.
With the Delta variant making itself known and the U.S. border set to open soon, health officials want to get as many jabs into as many arms as possible. Mobile clinics, pop-up events and walk-in days are all part of the plan.
So far we’ve had remarkable success with our vaccination campaign. But it hasn’t been shared equally. While Vancouver Coastal Health has the best vaccination rates in B.C., some areas – particularly rural communities in the Interior and the North -– have far more concerning rates of the unvaccinated.
Younger people are also much more likely to not be fully vaccinated.
So far, B.C.’s approach to vaccination has been relentlessly positive. But while rejecting any kind of official vaccine “passport,” there have also been hints at increasing “consequences” for those who choose to remain unvaccinated. That’s something most citizens would probably applaud. While civil libertarians can get touchy about vaccine “passports,” it’s safe to say we’ve all had many of our civil liberties impinged on by the pandemic. Vaccination is our way out.
If the example of other countries is any indication, self-interest will likely triumph where coercion fails.
Want to go to that restaurant/attend that concert/live in that university residence? Better prove you’re vaccinated first. Carrots are always a good first line of persuasion. Sometimes a bit of stick also doesn’t hurt.
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