A PUBLIC HEALTH PLAN¶

Let me reiterate this:

TELLING PEOPLE TO PLEASE GET VACCINATED IS NOT A PUBLIC HEALTH PLAN

Putting aside the fact that just repeating yourself politely is not going to convince antivaxxers, the vaccination ITSELF is not enough. We've known this for MONTHS. First, biochemically, with studies showing that the mutations found in omicron significantly reduce the ability of antibodies from both vaccinated and infected people to neutralize the virus. Now we ALSO have epidemiological data showing that even in vaccinated individuals and people who were previously infected, omicron can EASILY spread. As far as severity, that data is still coming in, but it should be pretty obvious by just looking at the sheer number of cases and hospitalizations in highly-vaccinated populations that VACCINES ALONE ARE NOT KEEPING POPULATIONS SAFE. This is not a message for the individual.

You personally should definitely get vaccinated and boosted to be more safe than nothing at all.

This is a warning to the officials who refuse to do any lockdowns. And telling people that if they are vaccinated, restrictions don't apply to them might be a good way to score political points, but it is a public health CATASTROPHE.

Vaccinated people can get it, spread it, die from it.