We relied on the promises of vaccines when COVID arrived in our town. We believed they would offer sufficient protection for our life to return to normal. But that was before we learned about virus mutations, and how it would take all our ingenuity to stay abreast of the game. We never imagined we would some day wonder are we safe dining indoors with vaccinations. However, that day has arrived.
The Double Bind We Find Ourselves In
We understand – perhaps as never before – the dynamic stretch between individual freedom and social responsibility. Full vaccination should protect us from the harshest symptoms of the illness, but we could still catch the virus. And a virus inside us could still infect those around us.
The double bind is one of those people could still fall ill, and catch the worst symptoms too. And that person could be someone we love. A close relative or friend perhaps … even our life partner close nearby.
But by the same token we have our rights and freedoms too, after we did the right thing and had our vaccinations. We yearn to go on holiday again, perhaps to sail the seven seas on an ocean cruise ship of a lifetime. On a more immediate level, we wish we could entertain friends around our dining table at home again.
Are We Safe Dining Indoors with Vaccinations Again?
Katia Hetter posted an interview with Dr. Leana Wen on CNN Health on August 28, 2021. Wen is emergency physician, and visiting professor of health policy and management at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Her reply was long the lines of ‘it depends’ when Katia Hetter asked are we safe dining indoors now we have our vaccinations …
Vaccinations are like raincoats, she explained. These work in drizzles, but we still get soaked in cloudbursts. Vaccines protect us up to a point too. However, if we surround ourselves with infected people – as is the case now – we have a better chance of a virus finding a way through our defenses.
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