Viewpoints: Targeted Vaccine Messaging Needed To Sway Gen Z; India Suffering Brutal Second Wave
Opinion writers tackle these covid and vaccine topics.
CNN:
How To Convince Gen Z-Ers They Need To Be Vaccinated
As medical students and Gen-Z'ers who were born after the mid-1990's, we're deeply concerned about the latest Covid-19 surge in Michigan, partly driven by younger adults who are unvaccinated and tired of pandemic restrictions. However, what worries us more is that Michigan may be a bellwether of what the pandemic will look like elsewhere: case counts surpassing the fall wave and hospitals deferring elective surgeries as states scramble to vaccinate their remaining population. In order to prevent this, we need to get young adults vaccinated. But to do that, we must address vaccine hesitancy first among young adults and the lack of messaging targeted specifically toward a key constituency: Gen Z. (Matt Alexander and Jesper Ke, 4/27)
Stat:
India In Covid's Grip: 'If There Is An Apocalypse, This Has To Be One'
Working hard to keep her composure, Lavanya Sharma tweeted a short video on April 25. “Please please please help,” the teenage girl from New Delhi’s Uttam Nagar neighborhood wrote atop her post as her mother lay gasping for breath and her oximeter blinked a dangerously low reading of 52/100. Sharma’s frantic calls for help didn’t get an official response until the next day, when an ambulance finally arrived to take her mother to the hospital. (Vikas Dandekar, 4/27)
Los Angeles Times:
India’s Catastrophic COVID-19 Surge Is Driven By Hubris And Mismanagement
It is humbling when a writer must retract his words. Less than two months ago, after India rushed millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 60 countries, I praised the country’s “vaccine diplomacy.” India’s aspirations to be recognized as a global power had been given a real boost. But now, with more than 300,000 new cases a day and the death toll very likely much higher than reported, India is no one’s idea of a global leader. I was worried then that India had exported three times as many vaccines as it had administered domestically. The country was clearly lagging behind its own target of immunizing 400 million people by August, after vaccinating some 3 million healthcare workers in a campaign that began only on Jan. 16. (Shashi Tharoor, 4/27)
Bloomberg:
Britain And EU May Both Be Wrong On Astra's Vaccine
When it comes to Covid-19 vaccinations, Britain has been a bit of a renegade. At the outset of the global rollout, the U.K. — in an effort to inoculate as many people as possible as quickly as possible — started its campaign by lengthening the time interval between the first and second shots beyond what was indicated from trials. Instead of a recommended gap of as little as three weeks for the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech shot or six to 12 for the one developed by AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford, the government stretched the interval to 12 weeks for all cases. It was a risky gamble that invited criticism from health experts and analysts (myself included) who worried the untested move might lead to subpar protection and enable the generation of virus variants. (Sam Fazeli, 4/28)
Dallas Morning News:
If Texas Rangers Can’t Enforce Mask Policy, They Need To Scale Back
In the weeks leading up to their April 5 home opener, the Texas Rangers announced they would open their Arlington stadium at full capacity. No other MLB team has allowed more than 50% capacity at its ballpark this year. It was a daring decision shored up by bold assurances: The team would play all games at Globe Life Field with the roof open except when it rained. Fans would have to keep their distance in the restroom and concession lines. The Rangers would mandate face masks and follow a “three-strike” approach with people who needed reminders. (4/28)
Kansas City Star:
I Share Conservative Concern About Government Caprice. But Not On The Issue Of Masks
It’s one of the dumbest plays in sports. But you wouldn’t believe how many football players have done it. Even Kansas City Chiefs standout safety Tyrann Mathieu did it once in college. It’s dropping the ball just before reaching the end zone. In a fit of premature celebration, players racing toward a score let loose of the football before it crosses the goal line. If it then rolls out of the end zone, it’s awarded to the other team, no points for yours. It’s a monumental mistake. But I wonder: Are we about to collectively do that ourselves? Aren’t we at risk of dropping the ball on the cusp of the goal line if we lift the COVID-19 mask mandates so close to widespread immunity? (Michael Ryan, 4/28)
