Recently, well known pollster Frank Luntz produced a report that stated, “Getting vaccinated will help keep you, your family, your community, and your country safe and healthy. You can help end the damage to the economy, prevent more illnesses and deaths in America, and eliminate and eradicate COVID-19.”
Simply put: You have the power to help bring this pandemic to an end. This is how we return to normal. This is how we return to the freedom to travel without restriction, or gather in large groups knowing that we’ve done our part to help keep those around us safe.
When your grandparents and neighbors, your friends with compromised immune systems, and your children’s teachers can all feel safe and healthy in their own communities, we will have finally climbed out from the shroud of COVID-19. And we will have done it because we will have made the choice to get vaccinated.
The best part? There isn’t a mandate or a politician demanding that you get vaccinated. You have the freedom to choose. According to the CDC, Granite Staters are choosing to get vaccinated in record numbers. New Hampshire is one of the national leaders when it comes to getting its citizens vaccinated, with a majority of its adult population having received at least one shot. As a community, we continue to listen to science, to doctors, and to our local health experts and recognize that the benefits of receiving the vaccine far outweigh any risks.
Thanks to the incredible efforts of scientists from around the world, the vaccine was delivered faster than most of us anticipated. We achieved success not by cutting safety corners, but rather through the elimination of unnecessary bureaucratic red tape and partnering with private industry. If you still have questions, check in with a trusted health care provider or check out the CDC’s website. Happily, the federal government made the appropriate decision to provide free vaccinations for all.
The goal of the CDC and the president’s COVID team is to achieve 70% vaccination by July 4th. This will result in herd immunity, meaning that a significant percentage of the population has become immune to the infection either through vaccination or a previous infection, thereby reducing the likelihood of infections spreading to individuals who lack immunity. (Note that current research shows individuals who have recovered from COVID should still be vaccinated. Prior infection provides some immunity, but vaccination provides better and longer-lasting immunity.)
And, as New Hampshire continues to re-open and life starts to resemble something of a pre-COVID era, large and small businesses and organizations will need to implement plans that allow their employees to return to a safe office environment. Smart businesses will find a way to ensure safety and encourage people to make the choice to get vaccinated, incentivizing employee health and a quicker return to full capacity and productivity.
It is this sense of community that makes New Hampshire such a great place to live and work. It’s also one of the main reasons why we will continue to lead this country out of the COVID-19 pandemic. For ourselves, our families, our neighbors, and for our want to be free and independent from COVID-19, let’s continue this great trend and show the rest of the country why an independent-minded, freedom loving state like New Hampshire can beat COVID-19 and return to normal, together.
To achieve these goals, we must be vaccinated, and it is important that we encourage our friends and neighbors to do the same.
(Robert J. Englund, MD, lives in Munsonville.)