COVID Vaccine Distribution

Editor: Anita Newkirk Hackney

As the coronavirus vaccine is being distributed to select groups like healthcare workers, the elderly and the working public, we are now facing more challenges with the distribution process. Although the coronavirus vaccine is being released to select groups, it is not offered to most of the public, mainly children and the unemployed. 

You’d think we would have been smarter with this process, but we are now facing newer Covid strains that are mutating the virus and infecting people who have already taken the vaccine. 

So, why are we back at square one in 2021 when it comes to this pandemic? This is all due to new variants of the pandemic spreading in places like the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. For scientists, it is not surprising to see this happen. Viruses, like the coronavirus, change their structural codes to become more potent over time. This is a known fact in the scientific world. 

In December 2020, the coronavirus vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which allowed the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus shot to be used in the United States. This vaccine is one of the first in existence to be created within a year; however, it may not be as effective as other vaccines that had years to be perfected. This has made the United States the latest country to join Canada and the United Kingdom in approving a vaccine to combat Covid-19.

So, what is the issue of having these shots being distributed in such a way? One of the problems is the vaccine was created and distributed in a year. Other vaccines for diseases like polio did not get produced as early. The earliest those shots were made and distributed was within a six-year period. 

The other issue with the coronavirus vaccine is the way it is being distributed to the public. 

As of right now, we have at least three Covid variants. If these new strands of the coronavirus are affecting us and the United Kingdom, Canada may get it sooner or later. This should concern Canada because we were one of the countries that have approved a Covid vaccine and now they are vulnerable to these new strains of Covid, if they have made the same mistakes we made. 

In hindsight, the vaccine should have been distributed to the public before it was given to healthcare workers. What should have happened is the public should have received the vaccine first followed by the healthcare workers. This possibly would have prevented these variants from occurring in the first place. 

Now that the United States, United Kingdom and South Africa are fighting a mutating virus which has compromised the vaccine that was distributed to the working public, all of us are now back at square one. With the pandemic becoming deadlier and deadlier from the strains mutating the virus, we are literally grasping for straws. Thanks to these new variants of Covid-19, it is now customary to wear two masks instead of one in public. 

According to an Instagram post from The Washington Post:

“Your mask routine needs an upgrade. Contagious new variants mean you should double up—or get better ones. Wear your mask is becoming wear your masks. The discovery of highly contagious coronavirus variants in the United States has public health experts urging Americans to upgrade the simple cloth masks that have become a stable shield during the pandemic. 

“The change can be as simple as slapping a second mask over the one you already wear, or better yet, donning a fabric mask on top of a surgical mask. Some experts say it’s time to buy the highest-quality KN95 or N95 masks that officials have long discouraged Americans from purchasing to reserve supply for health care workers.”

Why do we have to wear two masks now? Double masks mean double the protection. When you double up, it is not only protecting you; it’s protecting others. Although you are wearing one mask, it does not mean it is a perfect shield to combat the new strains. This is why healthcare officials are recommending wearing two masks in public. 

As the coronavirus vaccine is being distributed to select groups of the public, new variants are spreading. These strains have infected countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa. You’d think we would have been smarter with the Covid vaccine distribution process, but now we are back at square one. If we are not careful, the whole nation is going to be prone to these new variants of Covid-19, so be sure to wear double masks in public spaces to protect the people you care about.