DISTRIBUTION OF THE COVID-19 VACCINATION
Is Distributive Justice being activated with the COVID-19 vaccination? Is everyone getting a fair opportunity to receive the vaccination in a orderly and purposeful manner? These are great questions to ask when we look at distributive justice. There has been so many things reported day and night about the devastation of the COVID-19 virus. The latest news is the Covid-19 vaccination. We in the US have an opportunity to receive this vaccination in order to help ourselves be safer and possibly avoiding the effects of the Covid-19 virus.
There are three Covid-19 vaccinations offered. None of the vaccines have be approved or licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However the FDA has authorized this vaccine for emergency use by FDA, under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019. The Maderna Covid-19 Vaccine uses mRNA to provide a blueprint for your cells to build your body's defense-against the virus. This vaccination requires two shots about a month a part.
The second COVID-19 vaccination is from Pfiizer-BioNTech. Both Maderna and Pfizer vaccines were effective against new variants of the coronavirus discovered in Britain and South Africa. But they are slightly less protective against the variant in South Africa.
The third Covid-19 vaccination is from Johnson & Johnson. It is easier to store than Pfizer and Moderna's vaccine and it doesn't require a second dose. The J & J vaccine can be stored in a refrigerator. This one shot vaccine was 72% effective in the United States and 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe illness. This information was reported on the TODAY show and the NBC New.
VACCINATION DISTRIBUTION:
According to an article published January 22, by KFF, a COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor, and research project tracking the public's attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations. Using a combination of surveys and qualitative research, the findings are that two thirds of U.S. adults 65% say the federal government is doing a "fair" or "poor" job of distributing vaccines to the states. About 3 out of 10 adults give the federal government a positive rating of "excellent or good". About half of the public think that efforts to distribute the vaccine will get better under President Biden Administration, compared to about a third who think efforts will stay about the same.
I am still very concerned about the vulnerable populations in urban and rural areas who do not have cable tv, internet, wi-fi and do have transportation or access to receive the vaccination. It's great the CVS, Walgreens and other pharmaceutical outlets are offering the vaccine. However these outlets are not available in rural America. I am also grateful that senior citizen nursing homes, retirement centers are targeted to make sure our senior citizens are being vaccinated. However, for those who are not in nursing homes, or senior living quarters or retirement centers, there is no plan to reach those senior citizens. If those senior have caring and responsible family members in town that check on seniors then they have a better chance of receiving the vaccination.
Senior citizens and non-seniors may be fearful of the vaccination. They do not want to be a guinea-pig or a test unit for the scientists. They may think this virus is not serious. I caution everyone to weigh the scales properly. Your good health may be at stake. We will continue to trust God for our health. But we must also use practical health care techniques to stay healthy.
May I encourage you to continue to wash your hands often, social distance and wear a mask. The life you save may be your own.