He got the vaccine anyway.
By Jenée Desmond-Harris Senior Staff Editor, Opinion |
At least in my social media feeds, these are the kind of exasperated comments directed at people who are anxious about getting inoculated against Covid-19: |
You say you won't get the vaccine because you don't know what's in it, but you'll eat a hot dog? |
You think the government is using the vaccine to put a tracking device in your arm, but have you looked at your life and asked whether there's anything worth tracking? |
You're afraid the vaccine might kill you, but guess what we know can kill you? Covid! |
Over the past few months, there's been a debate — often in the form of memes and subtweets — between those who take seriously what medical experts say about vaccine safety and efficacy and are eager to get their shots, and those who have serious reservations about whether the United States government and our medical system will look out for their best interests. |
You don't hear much from people who are in both categories. That's why I think Damon Young's essay, published this morning, is such an important read. He's very honest — and disarmingly self-deprecating — about how his justifiable wariness of racism in American society has led him in the past to believe some things that aren't actually true. (I'll let you read it yourself, but some of them are really funny). |
And even now, he says, "I don't trust doctors, nurses, physician assistants, hospitals, emergency rooms, waiting rooms, surgeries, prescriptions, X-rays, MRIs, medical bills, insurance companies, universal health care, or even the food from hospital cafeterias. My awareness of the pronounced racial disparities in our health care system strips me of any confidence I would have otherwise had in it." |
Despite all this, he's already received his first shot. |
His explanation of the mental journey that got him there contains a message about how Black people can function in society despite the overwhelming — and incredibly anxiety-inducing — awareness that racism shapes so many things. That's something that will continue to be relevant when the pandemic is a distant memory. |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
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