Though millions of Americans have rolled-up their sleeves and taken the vaccination against Covid-19, there appear to be roughly 100-million who haven’t — roughly 30% of the adult population.
That’s just enough for the virus to remain lively, enough for it to continue evolving and spreading — which means just enough for it to remain threatening to even those who have been vaccinated.
Clearly, appeals to personal well-being and good citizenship aren’t enough to move some people. In some cases the reason is that the person is already immunocompromised and the vaccine poses a danger. Far more often the matter is no more than juvenile cussedness — “Nobody is going to tell me what to do!” — or plain-vanilla stupidity — “It won’t get me” and “The Donald is right; it’s no big deal.”
It’s time for the public sector and privately-operated businesses to impose mandates, for public offices and the corner convenience store to demand proof of vaccination as the cost of admission. No card, no entry — period. I understand the reluctance to do that, especially by businesses, but it’s time to end this pandemic and it’s clear that some people just aren’t going to do their part unless they get thumped over the head.