Coronavirus in Massachusetts (income, professionals, restaurant)

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

The failed cities don’t have those vaccination rates. Springfield is at 41% with at least one jab. Lawrence. New Bedford. Fall River. All below 50%.

The only silver lining there is that a higher percentage of these cites have likely been exposed to COVID and have some natural immunity now because they weren't able to work from home for the past year and a half.


There are two big things as an aggregate holding back these areas from getting the shot - distrust among POC and no paid time off of work, particularly if you have already had COVID and don't have the time to take a day or two off if you have vaccine side effects. The latter is fixable by the state government if they really wanted to do something about it.

[mdovell]

In retrospect if we had a three week lockdown in February and distributed masks and other ppe's this could have been much shorter. It would have been more like a civil defense drill from the 1960's, maybe something to tell grandkids when they are bored in another 50 years.

There's plenty of incentives now to get the shot. It's one thing to be afraid of covid but to be afraid of it *and* the shot is a bit much.

Here's a question though. If someone already had it do they get vaccinated as well? That's where I think you'll see the most resistance.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by mdovell

If someone already had it do they get vaccinated as well? .

Yes, the messaging has been loud and consistent on this.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

The only silver lining there is that a higher percentage of these cites have likely been exposed to COVID and have some natural immunity now because they weren't able to work from home for the past year and a half.


There are two big things as an aggregate holding back these areas from getting the shot - distrust among POC and no paid time off of work, particularly if you have already had COVID and don't have the time to take a day or two off if you have vaccine side effects. The latter is fixable by the state government if they really wanted to do something about it.

I was in CA last week, and they have such a scheme. I'm surprised MA doesn't.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I was in CA last week, and they have such a scheme. I'm surprised MA doesn't.

The scheme is Federal. The Feds provide credits to businesses to provide paid time off for vaccines and vaccine recovery. It's not enough. Lots of small businesses won't figure out how to access it. Or, even if they do, they can't afford not having people work. There is definitely a roll for the states and facilitation though.

[mdovell]

Ohio had a lottery to get vaccinated and it worked well. Mass might not do that but technically I don't think a local lottery would be that bad. You create the incentives for people to do it and reward someone randomly financially. Yeah it might be a quick and dirty way to do it but so be it.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by mdovell

Ohio had a lottery to get vaccinated and it worked well. Mass might not do that but technically I don't think a local lottery would be that bad. You create the incentives for people to do it and reward someone randomly financially. Yeah it might be a quick and dirty way to do it but so be it.

CVS is having their own such contest and give-aways for vaccination.

Of course, you don't actually have to get vaccinated at CVS to enter.

[msRB311]

I think the privileged people here don't understand that it's really not that difficult to get time off to get this vaccine from a retail or restaurant job. That is not why people aren't getting vaccinated but keep trying.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I think the privileged people here don't understand that it's really not that difficult to get time off to get this vaccine from a retail or restaurant job. That is not why people aren't getting vaccinated but keep trying.

The service sector workers (DD emloyees) at the vaccine clinics at the Dunkin Donut pop up clinics I volunteered at said something very different. They only got them because we were literally outside the door and the manager felt somewhat coerced by corporate to do so. And, it isn't just about getting the shot, its about paid time off for recovery from the shot. That is the hard part.



Of course, I shouldn't listen to the people we actually vaccinated, I guess.

[yesmaybe]

Originally Posted by timberline742

The service sector workers (DD emloyees) at the vaccine clinics at the Dunkin Donut pop up clinics I volunteered at said something very different. They only got them because we were literally outside the door and the manager felt somewhat coerced by corporate to do so. And, it isn't just about getting the shot, its about paid time off for recovery from the shot. That is the hard part.

I think it's more about getting the Free PTO, essentially bribing them to get the shot.