Coronavirus first emerged on the world stage in early 2020 and by now research has shown what happens to people who get the WHO approved COVID-19 vaccine: They gain nearly full protection from the virus that has infected millions and killed at least one million worldwide, if not more people already.
But what about those people who don't get vaccinated, whether due to legitimate health issues, unfounded concerns about safety or effectiveness, or maybe for religious reasons?
What might happen to those in that category in the Solomon Islands should COVID-19 sneak in despite the best efforts of the government and front line workers to keep the deadly virus out?
"With a virus that is as contagious as Covid-19 and one that has become more contagious due to variants, people who decide not to get vaccinated are likely over time to get infected.
From a societal standpoint, people who skip the vaccine could compromise the safety of others.
I hear some saying deciding to get vaccinated is an individual choice, but the calculus in that choice is twofold — one is to vaccinate yourself and the other is protect others.
I think we have a responsibility to protect our communities.
Herd immunity is the point at which it's difficult for a disease to spread because enough people in the community are protected from infection. The proportion of the population that must acquire resistance to establish herd immunity is dependent on how easily the disease spreads.
Herd immunity is necessary for the Solomon Islands to consider re-opening its borders to the world and regaining much of what it has lost economically.
Please, I again request all to get vaccinated before the doors close on your workplace and families of unvaccinated public servants put themselves, their families and the country at risk, to say nothing of the loss of personal income further putting hardship on dependent family members.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
