Waitin' In a Vaccine Line, a.k.a. The End Ain't Nigh So Quit Actin' Like It Is

The NY Times has an interesting opinion piece up, entitled "Find Your Place In The Vaccine Line." You can find the article here. The article's opening blurb:

"A vaccine may be around the corner, but how long will it be until you get the shot? Health officials are considering vaccine timelines that give some Americans priority over others. If you’re a healthy American, you may wait many months for your turn.

To put this in perspective, we worked with the Surgo Foundation and Ariadne Labs using their vaccine tool to calculate the number of people who will need a vaccine in each state and county — and where you might fit in that line."

The vaccine tool asks you your age, the county you live in (the system can figure out which state you live in based on the county), whether or not you are working in an essential role (and if so, what kind), and if you have any COVID-related health risks. I completed the questionnaire.

My results?

"Based on your risk profile, we believe you’re in line behind 268.7 million people across the United States.

When it comes to Oregon, we think you’re behind 3.3 million others who are at higher risk in your state.

And in Multnomah County, you’re behind 622,000 others."

Here is a screenshot of where I am at in the line for the vaccine.

And you know what? I have no dispute with that.

I am privileged to have been able to try to work remotely during the entirety of this pandemic thus far. I can work remotely well into next year with no issues. I'm privileged to be able to stay indoors as much as possible and not take bot necessary and unnecessary risks, which I have been able to do since March. And I can and will stay inside even longer if it means that it allows me to help keep myself, my spouse, and other people in my community safe. Why? Because this sh-- ain't about me. It ain't about you either. This isn't a solo mission. This is about us. All of us.

It's about all of us working in concert to keep as many of us as safe as possible, to lessen the burden on hospitals and frontline workers, and to keep those in essential roles as well as those who have no choice but to work outside of their homes to survive as safe as physically possible.

I hope more of y'all start seeing that, seeing how COVID-19 cases and deaths are going up not down. Even with a vaccine on the horizon, no one should just be like, C'est la vie!" and going out doing whatever they want with no mask on and no adherence to social distancing measures with large groups of people indoors. This is nowhere near "over."

I'll see some of y'all in person in the fall of 2021. It's legitimately for the best.