Unvaccinated Missourians fuel COVID: 'We will be the canary'
By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH
Today
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — As the U.S. emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, Missouri is becoming a cautionary tale for the rest of the country: It is seeing an alarming rise in cases because of a combination of the fast-spreading delta variant and stubborn resistance among many people to getting vaccinated.
Intensive care beds are filling up with surprisingly young, unvaccinated patients, and staff members are getting burned out fighting a battle that was supposed to be in its final throes.
The hope among some health leaders is that the rest of the U.S. might at least learn something from Missouri's plight.
“If people elsewhere in the country are looking to us and saying, ‘No thanks' and they are getting vaccinated, that is good," said Erik Frederick, chief administrative officer at Mercy Hospital Springfield, which has been inundated with COVID-19 patients as the variant first identified in India rips through the largely non-immunized community. “We will be the canary.”
The state now leads the nation with the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections, and the surge is happening largely in a politically conservative farming region in the northern part of the state and in the southwestern corner, which includes Springfield and Branson, the country music mecca in the Ozark Mountains where big crowds are gathering again at the city's theaters and other attractions.
While over 53% of all Americans have received at least one shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most southern and northern Missouri counties are well short of 40%. One county is at just 13%.
Cases remain below their winter highs in southwestern Missouri, but the trajectory is steeper than in previous surges, Frederick said. As of Tuesday, 153 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at Mercy and another Springfield hospital, Cox Health, up from 31 just over a month ago, county figures show.
These patients are also younger than earlier in the pandemic — 60% to 65% of those in the ICU over the weekend at Mercy were under 40, according to Frederick, who noted that younger adults are much less likely to be vaccinated — and some are pregnant.
He is hiring traveling nurses and respiratory therapists to help out his fatigued staff as the rest of the country tries to leave the pandemic behind.
“I feel like last year at this time it was health care heroes and everybody was celebrating and bringing food to the hospital and doing prayer vigils and stuff, and now everyone is like, ‘The lake is open. Let’s go.' We are still here doing this," he said.
There are also warning signs across the state line: Arkansas on Tuesday reported its biggest one-day jump in cases in more than three months. The state also has low vaccination rates.
Lagging rates — especially among young adults — are becoming an increasing source of concern elsewhere around the country, as is the delta variant.
The mutant version now accounts more than 20% of new COVID-19 infections in the U.S., doubling in just two weeks, the CDC said Tuesday. It is responsible for half of new cases across a swath that includes Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
“The delta variant is currently the greatest threat in the U.S. to our attempt to eliminate COVID-19,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert. He said there is a “real danger” of local surges like the one in Missouri in places with deep vaccine resistance.
To help counter the threat, administration officials are stepping up efforts to vaccinate Americans ages 18 to 26, who have proved least likely to get the shot when it’s available to them.
Elsewhere around the world, Britain, with an even higher vaccination rate than the U.S., has postponed the lifting of remaining restrictions on socializing in England because of the rapid spread of the variant. Israel, another vaccination success story, is reacting by tightening rules on travelers.
In Missouri, Republican Gov. Mike Parson has taken the position that it is better to ask people to take “personal responsibility" than to enact restrictions.
Missouri never had a mask mandate, and Parson signed a law last week placing limits on public health restrictions and barring governments from requiring proof of vaccination to use public facilities and transportation.
Missouri Health Department spokeswoman Lisa Cox said the agency is encouraging people to get vaccinated, but confessed: “This is the Show-Me State and Missourians are skeptical.”
Frederick said some people in the heavily Republican state are resistant because they feel as if Democrats are pushing the vaccine.
“I keep telling people, while we are busy fighting with each other, this thing is picking us off one by one,” he said. “It takes no sides. It has no political affiliation. It is not red. It is not blue. It is a virus. And if we don’t protect ourselves, we are going to do a lot of damage to our community.”
Steve Edwards, CEO of Cox Health, lamented in a tweet that while a number of major news organizations have contacted the hospital about the rise in cases, Fox News was not among them.
“Fox," he tweeted, “is the most popular cable news in our area — you can help educate on Delta, vaccines and can save lives."
Lisa Meeks, 49, of Springfield, is among those who haven't been vaccinated. She said that she is a Christian and that God gave her a strong immune system.
“As of right now, nobody knows anything long term or short term about these vaccines because they are brand new," she said, despite months of real-world evidence that the vaccines are highly safe and effective. “And so people are now basically the lab rats."
An offer of free beer from Mother's Brewing Co. in Springfield for those who get vaccinated drew a disappointing 20 to 50 people to each of the first three clinics.
“We keep trying,” said Jeff Schrag, owner and founder of Mother’s Brewing. “It is a game of inches.”
As immunizations slow, the delta variant has become the predominant form of the virus in the region. Aaron Schekorra, a spokesman for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said it makes up 93% of the random sample of cases that the county is sending for analysis, up from 70% three weeks ago.
He said that unvaccinated people gathering for graduation celebrations and Memorial Day festivities also fueled the spread of the virus. The events came just as the community lifted its mask mandate.
“My concern," he said, “would be that this is a preview of what is to come in other parts of the country that don’t have higher vaccination rates."
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Unvaccinated Missourians fuel COVID: 'We will be the canary'
By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH
Today
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — As the U.S. emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, Missouri is becoming a cautionary tale for the rest of the country: It is seeing an alarming rise in cases because of a combination of the fast-spreading delta variant and stubborn resistance among many people to getting vaccinated.
Intensive care beds are filling up with surprisingly young, unvaccinated patients, and staff members are getting burned out fighting a battle that was supposed to be in its final throes.
The hope among some health leaders is that the rest of the U.S. might at least learn something from Missouri's plight.
“If people elsewhere in the country are looking to us and saying, ‘No thanks' and they are getting vaccinated, that is good," said Erik Frederick, chief administrative officer at Mercy Hospital Springfield, which has been inundated with COVID-19 patients as the variant first identified in India rips through the largely non-immunized community. “We will be the canary.”
The state now leads the nation with the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections, and the surge is happening largely in a politically conservative farming region in the northern part of the state and in the southwestern corner, which includes Springfield and Branson, the country music mecca in the Ozark Mountains where big crowds are gathering again at the city's theaters and other attractions.
While over 53% of all Americans have received at least one shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most southern and northern Missouri counties are well short of 40%. One county is at just 13%.
Cases remain below their winter highs in southwestern Missouri, but the trajectory is steeper than in previous surges, Frederick said. As of Tuesday, 153 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at Mercy and another Springfield hospital, Cox Health, up from 31 just over a month ago, county figures show.
These patients are also younger than earlier in the pandemic — 60% to 65% of those in the ICU over the weekend at Mercy were under 40, according to Frederick, who noted that younger adults are much less likely to be vaccinated — and some are pregnant.
He is hiring traveling nurses and respiratory therapists to help out his fatigued staff as the rest of the country tries to leave the pandemic behind.
“I feel like last year at this time it was health care heroes and everybody was celebrating and bringing food to the hospital and doing prayer vigils and stuff, and now everyone is like, ‘The lake is open. Let’s go.' We are still here doing this," he said.
There are also warning signs across the state line: Arkansas on Tuesday reported its biggest one-day jump in cases in more than three months. The state also has low vaccination rates.
Lagging rates — especially among young adults — are becoming an increasing source of concern elsewhere around the country, as is the delta variant.
The mutant version now accounts more than 20% of new COVID-19 infections in the U.S., doubling in just two weeks, the CDC said Tuesday. It is responsible for half of new cases across a swath that includes Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
“The delta variant is currently the greatest threat in the U.S. to our attempt to eliminate COVID-19,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert. He said there is a “real danger” of local surges like the one in Missouri in places with deep vaccine resistance.
To help counter the threat, administration officials are stepping up efforts to vaccinate Americans ages 18 to 26, who have proved least likely to get the shot when it’s available to them.
Elsewhere around the world, Britain, with an even higher vaccination rate than the U.S., has postponed the lifting of remaining restrictions on socializing in England because of the rapid spread of the variant. Israel, another vaccination success story, is reacting by tightening rules on travelers.
In Missouri, Republican Gov. Mike Parson has taken the position that it is better to ask people to take “personal responsibility" than to enact restrictions.
Missouri never had a mask mandate, and Parson signed a law last week placing limits on public health restrictions and barring governments from requiring proof of vaccination to use public facilities and transportation.
Missouri Health Department spokeswoman Lisa Cox said the agency is encouraging people to get vaccinated, but confessed: “This is the Show-Me State and Missourians are skeptical.”
Frederick said some people in the heavily Republican state are resistant because they feel as if Democrats are pushing the vaccine.
“I keep telling people, while we are busy fighting with each other, this thing is picking us off one by one,” he said. “It takes no sides. It has no political affiliation. It is not red. It is not blue. It is a virus. And if we don’t protect ourselves, we are going to do a lot of damage to our community.”
Steve Edwards, CEO of Cox Health, lamented in a tweet that while a number of major news organizations have contacted the hospital about the rise in cases, Fox News was not among them.
“Fox," he tweeted, “is the most popular cable news in our area — you can help educate on Delta, vaccines and can save lives."
Lisa Meeks, 49, of Springfield, is among those who haven't been vaccinated. She said that she is a Christian and that God gave her a strong immune system.
“As of right now, nobody knows anything long term or short term about these vaccines because they are brand new," she said, despite months of real-world evidence that the vaccines are highly safe and effective. “And so people are now basically the lab rats."
An offer of free beer from Mother's Brewing Co. in Springfield for those who get vaccinated drew a disappointing 20 to 50 people to each of the first three clinics.
“We keep trying,” said Jeff Schrag, owner and founder of Mother’s Brewing. “It is a game of inches.”
As immunizations slow, the delta variant has become the predominant form of the virus in the region. Aaron Schekorra, a spokesman for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said it makes up 93% of the random sample of cases that the county is sending for analysis, up from 70% three weeks ago.
He said that unvaccinated people gathering for graduation celebrations and Memorial Day festivities also fueled the spread of the virus. The events came just as the community lifted its mask mandate.
“My concern," he said, “would be that this is a preview of what is to come in other parts of the country that don’t have higher vaccination rates."
How is that “personal responsibility” working out, Gov Parson?
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
I keep seeing articles about the US pushing to have the border with Canada open. Lots of talk about business and tourism organizations being outraged that it’s still closed. Most of the articles are from American media, some are from Canadian media, but what they are missing is that overwhelmingly Canadians have not been wanting the border freely opened, and even now the majority of Canadians don’t want it opened yet, though people are warming up to the idea of an opening later this summer. We’re doing well with vaccinations and case numbers and we don’t want that screwed up.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
I keep seeing articles about the US pushing to have the border with Canada open. Lots of talk about business and tourism organizations being outraged that it’s still closed. Most of the articles are from American media, some are from Canadian media, but what they are missing is that overwhelmingly Canadians have not been wanting the border freely opened, and even now the majority of Canadians don’t want it opened yet, though people are warming up to the idea of an opening later this summer. We’re doing well with vaccinations and case numbers and we don’t want that screwed up.
I am at the point that if you are double vaxxed you should be able to freely travel as you please on either side of the border. The problem is though how easy it is to forge the documents. That new app coming out for Canada on July 5th will do a better job of it and when they finally unveil the vaccine passport in the fall will we even need to be showing it at that point? I doubt it at the pace of reopening we are going.
Those of us along the border want if open…for fucks sacks our local NDP MP is fighting to get the border open..Only liberals want it closed …they’d be embarrassed by how many of us would hop over to get the vaccine. Not to mention the mayors here want the border open…
I keep seeing articles about the US pushing to have the border with Canada open. Lots of talk about business and tourism organizations being outraged that it’s still closed. Most of the articles are from American media, some are from Canadian media, but what they are missing is that overwhelmingly Canadians have not been wanting the border freely opened, and even now the majority of Canadians don’t want it opened yet, though people are warming up to the idea of an opening later this summer. We’re doing well with vaccinations and case numbers and we don’t want that screwed up.
I am at the point that if you are double vaxxed you should be able to freely travel as you please on either side of the border. The problem is though how easy it is to forge the documents. That new app coming out for Canada on July 5th will do a better job of it and when they finally unveil the vaccine passport in the fall will we even need to be showing it at that point? I doubt it at the pace of reopening we are going.
I think the concern isn't regional, but more international. The vaccine passport, in order to be effective, would probably have to be subject to a person's place of origin, destination, and vaccination (place of origin and destination for the off-chance that a new localized variant is not yet proven to be treated by the primary vaccines distributed to the citizens of the destination). And then, what if the vaccinations passed health regulations in one country but not in the other - is that still deemed a valid vaccination?
The more I think about it, the more I think a vaccine passport is necessary for out-of-country travel based on challenges like the ones above, but not much else.
Post edited by benjs on
'05 - TO, '06 - TO 1, '08 - NYC 1 & 2, '09 - TO, Chi 1 & 2, '10 - Buffalo, NYC 1 & 2, '11 - TO 1 & 2, Hamilton, '13 - Buffalo, Brooklyn 1 & 2, '15 - Global Citizen, '16 - TO 1 & 2, Chi 2
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
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mickeyrat
up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 35,920
a record of vaccine for me is held at the hospital system I was vaxxed at, our local health dept, the state health dept, and the cdc has this as well.
this includes the maker, its batch info, the date of each shot etc...
patient chart app reflects the basics, maker and the dates of injection.
and finally the vax card. which has a sticker from the vials, the dates of injection, etc
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I keep seeing articles about the US pushing to have the border with Canada open. Lots of talk about business and tourism organizations being outraged that it’s still closed. Most of the articles are from American media, some are from Canadian media, but what they are missing is that overwhelmingly Canadians have not been wanting the border freely opened, and even now the majority of Canadians don’t want it opened yet, though people are warming up to the idea of an opening later this summer. We’re doing well with vaccinations and case numbers and we don’t want that screwed up.
I am at the point that if you are double vaxxed you should be able to freely travel as you please on either side of the border. The problem is though how easy it is to forge the documents. That new app coming out for Canada on July 5th will do a better job of it and when they finally unveil the vaccine passport in the fall will we even need to be showing it at that point? I doubt it at the pace of reopening we are going.
I think the concern isn't regional, but more international. The vaccine passport, in order to be effective, would probably have to be subject to a person's place of origin, destination, and vaccination (place of origin and destination for the off-chance that a new localized variant is not yet proven to be treated by the primary vaccines distributed to the citizens of the destination). And then, what if the vaccinations passed health regulations in one country but not in the other - is that still deemed a valid vaccination?
The more I think about it, the more I think a vaccine passport is necessary for out-of-country travel based on challenges like the ones above, but not much else.
Yes, I agree that by the time we have a functional electronic version of a vaccine passport it will be primarily for travel outside of North America, but for that we’re likely to need it for years to come.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
I keep seeing articles about the US pushing to have the border with Canada open. Lots of talk about business and tourism organizations being outraged that it’s still closed. Most of the articles are from American media, some are from Canadian media, but what they are missing is that overwhelmingly Canadians have not been wanting the border freely opened, and even now the majority of Canadians don’t want it opened yet, though people are warming up to the idea of an opening later this summer. We’re doing well with vaccinations and case numbers and we don’t want that screwed up.
I am at the point that if you are double vaxxed you should be able to freely travel as you please on either side of the border. The problem is though how easy it is to forge the documents. That new app coming out for Canada on July 5th will do a better job of it and when they finally unveil the vaccine passport in the fall will we even need to be showing it at that point? I doubt it at the pace of reopening we are going.
I think the concern isn't regional, but more international. The vaccine passport, in order to be effective, would probably have to be subject to a person's place of origin, destination, and vaccination (place of origin and destination for the off-chance that a new localized variant is not yet proven to be treated by the primary vaccines distributed to the citizens of the destination). And then, what if the vaccinations passed health regulations in one country but not in the other - is that still deemed a valid vaccination?
The more I think about it, the more I think a vaccine passport is necessary for out-of-country travel based on challenges like the ones above, but not much else.
Yes, I agree that by the time we have a functional electronic version of a vaccine passport it will be primarily for travel outside of North America, but for that we’re likely to need it for years to come.
I’m okay with needing vaccine passports to travel across borders…with Mexico and Canada alike. No vaccine, no entry. Not just for COVID either.
Those of us along the border want if open…for fucks sacks our local NDP MP is fighting to get the border open..Only liberals want it closed …they’d be embarrassed by how many of us would hop over to get the vaccine. Not to mention the mayors here want the border open…
Last polling done that I can find showed that 52% or Canadians agree with opening the border sometime this summer, 27% “closer to the fall”, and 21% want it closed until the end of 2021. It did not cross-reference with voting patterns or level of embarrassment, to confirm your statement about “liberals”
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
Those of us along the border want if open…for fucks sacks our local NDP MP is fighting to get the border open..Only liberals want it closed …they’d be embarrassed by how many of us would hop over to get the vaccine. Not to mention the mayors here want the border open…
Last polling done that I can find showed that 52% or Canadians agree with opening the border sometime this summer, 27% “closer to the fall”, and 21% want it closed until the end of 2021. It did not cross-reference with voting patterns or level of embarrassment, to confirm your statement about “liberals”
I keep seeing articles about the US pushing to have the border with Canada open. Lots of talk about business and tourism organizations being outraged that it’s still closed. Most of the articles are from American media, some are from Canadian media, but what they are missing is that overwhelmingly Canadians have not been wanting the border freely opened, and even now the majority of Canadians don’t want it opened yet, though people are warming up to the idea of an opening later this summer. We’re doing well with vaccinations and case numbers and we don’t want that screwed up.
I am at the point that if you are double vaxxed you should be able to freely travel as you please on either side of the border. The problem is though how easy it is to forge the documents. That new app coming out for Canada on July 5th will do a better job of it and when they finally unveil the vaccine passport in the fall will we even need to be showing it at that point? I doubt it at the pace of reopening we are going.
I think the concern isn't regional, but more international. The vaccine passport, in order to be effective, would probably have to be subject to a person's place of origin, destination, and vaccination (place of origin and destination for the off-chance that a new localized variant is not yet proven to be treated by the primary vaccines distributed to the citizens of the destination). And then, what if the vaccinations passed health regulations in one country but not in the other - is that still deemed a valid vaccination?
The more I think about it, the more I think a vaccine passport is necessary for out-of-country travel based on challenges like the ones above, but not much else.
Yes, I agree that by the time we have a functional electronic version of a vaccine passport it will be primarily for travel outside of North America, but for that we’re likely to need it for years to come.
I’m okay with needing vaccine passports to travel across borders…with Mexico and Canada alike. No vaccine, no entry. Not just for COVID either.
Do you want other vaccinations added now, or are you speculating about future needs?
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
I keep seeing articles about the US pushing to have the border with Canada open. Lots of talk about business and tourism organizations being outraged that it’s still closed. Most of the articles are from American media, some are from Canadian media, but what they are missing is that overwhelmingly Canadians have not been wanting the border freely opened, and even now the majority of Canadians don’t want it opened yet, though people are warming up to the idea of an opening later this summer. We’re doing well with vaccinations and case numbers and we don’t want that screwed up.
I am at the point that if you are double vaxxed you should be able to freely travel as you please on either side of the border. The problem is though how easy it is to forge the documents. That new app coming out for Canada on July 5th will do a better job of it and when they finally unveil the vaccine passport in the fall will we even need to be showing it at that point? I doubt it at the pace of reopening we are going.
I think the concern isn't regional, but more international. The vaccine passport, in order to be effective, would probably have to be subject to a person's place of origin, destination, and vaccination (place of origin and destination for the off-chance that a new localized variant is not yet proven to be treated by the primary vaccines distributed to the citizens of the destination). And then, what if the vaccinations passed health regulations in one country but not in the other - is that still deemed a valid vaccination?
The more I think about it, the more I think a vaccine passport is necessary for out-of-country travel based on challenges like the ones above, but not much else.
Yes, I agree that by the time we have a functional electronic version of a vaccine passport it will be primarily for travel outside of North America, but for that we’re likely to need it for years to come.
I’m okay with needing vaccine passports to travel across borders…with Mexico and Canada alike. No vaccine, no entry. Not just for COVID either.
Do you want other vaccinations added now, or are you speculating about future needs?
I say now, make it a multi-vaccination card. I’ll let the medical professionals decide which preventable sicknesses should be put on the list. Maybe even give major insurance incentives or rewards to those that get their vaccines. You would still have the right not to get them, but couldn’t cross borders or be eligible for incentives.
Those of us along the border want if open…for fucks sacks our local NDP MP is fighting to get the border open..Only liberals want it closed …they’d be embarrassed by how many of us would hop over to get the vaccine. Not to mention the mayors here want the border open…
Last polling done that I can find showed that 52% or Canadians agree with opening the border sometime this summer, 27% “closer to the fall”, and 21% want it closed until the end of 2021. It did not cross-reference with voting patterns or level of embarrassment, to confirm your statement about “liberals”
What party does the prime minister represent. He is a liberal or not….hahahahehehe…because he’s the one keeping the land border closed…but hey it’s alright that the elitist and for some to travel via air travel… . All you do is argue with people. Feel free to stay clear of me…
Those of us along the border want if open…for fucks sacks our local NDP MP is fighting to get the border open..Only liberals want it closed …they’d be embarrassed by how many of us would hop over to get the vaccine. Not to mention the mayors here want the border open…
Last polling done that I can find showed that 52% or Canadians agree with opening the border sometime this summer, 27% “closer to the fall”, and 21% want it closed until the end of 2021. It did not cross-reference with voting patterns or level of embarrassment, to confirm your statement about “liberals”
What party does the prime minister represent. He is a liberal or not….hahahahehehe…because he’s the one keeping the land border closed…but hey it’s alright that the elitist and for some to travel via air travel… . All you do is argue with people. Feel free to stay clear of me…
Stay clear? No thanks. Someone has to correct the misinformation.
Yes, it’s the PM’s party keeping the border closed, so far with the strong approval of the Canadian population. For the majority of the pandemic, upwards of 75% of the population wanted the border closed. The data I posted is I think the first one that shows the population at about 50/50 for opening soon. Part of the job of the party in heading government is to listen to the concerns of the population.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
I keep seeing articles about the US pushing to have the border with Canada open. Lots of talk about business and tourism organizations being outraged that it’s still closed. Most of the articles are from American media, some are from Canadian media, but what they are missing is that overwhelmingly Canadians have not been wanting the border freely opened, and even now the majority of Canadians don’t want it opened yet, though people are warming up to the idea of an opening later this summer. We’re doing well with vaccinations and case numbers and we don’t want that screwed up.
I am at the point that if you are double vaxxed you should be able to freely travel as you please on either side of the border. The problem is though how easy it is to forge the documents. That new app coming out for Canada on July 5th will do a better job of it and when they finally unveil the vaccine passport in the fall will we even need to be showing it at that point? I doubt it at the pace of reopening we are going.
I think the concern isn't regional, but more international. The vaccine passport, in order to be effective, would probably have to be subject to a person's place of origin, destination, and vaccination (place of origin and destination for the off-chance that a new localized variant is not yet proven to be treated by the primary vaccines distributed to the citizens of the destination). And then, what if the vaccinations passed health regulations in one country but not in the other - is that still deemed a valid vaccination?
The more I think about it, the more I think a vaccine passport is necessary for out-of-country travel based on challenges like the ones above, but not much else.
Yes, I agree that by the time we have a functional electronic version of a vaccine passport it will be primarily for travel outside of North America, but for that we’re likely to need it for years to come.
I’m okay with needing vaccine passports to travel across borders…with Mexico and Canada alike. No vaccine, no entry. Not just for COVID either.
Do you want other vaccinations added now, or are you speculating about future needs?
I say now, make it a multi-vaccination card. I’ll let the medical professionals decide which preventable sicknesses should be put on the list. Maybe even give major insurance incentives or rewards to those that get their vaccines. You would still have the right not to get them, but couldn’t cross borders or be eligible for incentives.
I’m not really seeing a big push to want other vaccines included at this point, mostly I think because there are few other infectious diseases that are relevant throughout the world that countries would want to insist on vaccination for. Maybe measles? Mostly because it’s so infectious.
The diseases for which vaccines are currently required for travel are mostly to protect the traveller, not the destination country. I wonder if tourist destinations would want others added that might lead to drops in tourism revenue without making their citizens significantly safer.
I guess the capacity for additional vaccines could be built in, but the more information you add, the greater the privacy risks.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
Those of us along the border want if open…for fucks sacks our local NDP MP is fighting to get the border open..Only liberals want it closed …they’d be embarrassed by how many of us would hop over to get the vaccine. Not to mention the mayors here want the border open…
Last polling done that I can find showed that 52% or Canadians agree with opening the border sometime this summer, 27% “closer to the fall”, and 21% want it closed until the end of 2021. It did not cross-reference with voting patterns or level of embarrassment, to confirm your statement about “liberals”
What party does the prime minister represent. He is a liberal or not….hahahahehehe…because he’s the one keeping the land border closed…but hey it’s alright that the elitist and for some to travel via air travel… . All you do is argue with people. Feel free to stay clear of me…
Stay clear? No thanks. Someone has to correct the misinformation.
Yes, it’s the PM’s party keeping the border closed, so far with the strong approval of the Canadian population. For the majority of the pandemic, upwards of 75% of the population wanted the border closed. The data I posted is I think the first one that shows the population at about 50/50 for opening soon. Part of the job of the party in heading government is to listen to the concerns of the population.
What misinformation…who is keeping the land border closed…your so full of shit.
you should post your qualifications before you dispense medical advice? You could be the Uber driver for drs. for all anyone knows, maybe the valet parking attendant…hehehehe
Oftenreading….no need to post any qualifications for me….you’ve been posting and helping the entire time and if he’s not kidding, well then you don’t owe him anything.
Oftenreading….no need to post any qualifications for me….you’ve been posting and helping the entire time and if he’s not kidding, well then you don’t owe him anything.
I keep seeing articles about the US pushing to have the border with Canada open. Lots of talk about business and tourism organizations being outraged that it’s still closed. Most of the articles are from American media, some are from Canadian media, but what they are missing is that overwhelmingly Canadians have not been wanting the border freely opened, and even now the majority of Canadians don’t want it opened yet, though people are warming up to the idea of an opening later this summer. We’re doing well with vaccinations and case numbers and we don’t want that screwed up.
I am at the point that if you are double vaxxed you should be able to freely travel as you please on either side of the border. The problem is though how easy it is to forge the documents. That new app coming out for Canada on July 5th will do a better job of it and when they finally unveil the vaccine passport in the fall will we even need to be showing it at that point? I doubt it at the pace of reopening we are going.
I think the concern isn't regional, but more international. The vaccine passport, in order to be effective, would probably have to be subject to a person's place of origin, destination, and vaccination (place of origin and destination for the off-chance that a new localized variant is not yet proven to be treated by the primary vaccines distributed to the citizens of the destination). And then, what if the vaccinations passed health regulations in one country but not in the other - is that still deemed a valid vaccination?
The more I think about it, the more I think a vaccine passport is necessary for out-of-country travel based on challenges like the ones above, but not much else.
Yes, I agree that by the time we have a functional electronic version of a vaccine passport it will be primarily for travel outside of North America, but for that we’re likely to need it for years to come.
I’m okay with needing vaccine passports to travel across borders…with Mexico and Canada alike. No vaccine, no entry. Not just for COVID either.
We are flying to England next Summer for the PJ shows. I expect we will have sort of vaccine passport requirement. I am flying to Colorado from St. Louis tomorrow, and plan on bringing proof of vaccination, even though they haven't said anything about needing it. I have a photo of my vaccination card stored on my phone.
Those of us along the border want if open…for fucks sacks our local NDP MP is fighting to get the border open..Only liberals want it closed …they’d be embarrassed by how many of us would hop over to get the vaccine. Not to mention the mayors here want the border open…
Last polling done that I can find showed that 52% or Canadians agree with opening the border sometime this summer, 27% “closer to the fall”, and 21% want it closed until the end of 2021. It did not cross-reference with voting patterns or level of embarrassment, to confirm your statement about “liberals”
What party does the prime minister represent. He is a liberal or not….hahahahehehe…because he’s the one keeping the land border closed…but hey it’s alright that the elitist and for some to travel via air travel… . All you do is argue with people. Feel free to stay clear of me…
Stay clear? No thanks. Someone has to correct the misinformation.
Yes, it’s the PM’s party keeping the border closed, so far with the strong approval of the Canadian population. For the majority of the pandemic, upwards of 75% of the population wanted the border closed. The data I posted is I think the first one that shows the population at about 50/50 for opening soon. Part of the job of the party in heading government is to listen to the concerns of the population.
What misinformation…who is keeping the land border closed…your so full of shit.
you should post your qualifications before you dispense medical advice? You could be the Uber driver for drs. for all anyone knows, maybe the valet parking attendant…hehehehe
the misinformation you post pretty much every post because of your trudeau derangement syndrome. you said "only the liberals want it closed". false.
oftenreading posts information complete with links to the information provided to corroborate said info. no degree necessary. and you post "those of us along the border want if (sic) open". care to post a link to THAT info?
I keep seeing articles about the US pushing to have the border with Canada open. Lots of talk about business and tourism organizations being outraged that it’s still closed. Most of the articles are from American media, some are from Canadian media, but what they are missing is that overwhelmingly Canadians have not been wanting the border freely opened, and even now the majority of Canadians don’t want it opened yet, though people are warming up to the idea of an opening later this summer. We’re doing well with vaccinations and case numbers and we don’t want that screwed up.
I am at the point that if you are double vaxxed you should be able to freely travel as you please on either side of the border. The problem is though how easy it is to forge the documents. That new app coming out for Canada on July 5th will do a better job of it and when they finally unveil the vaccine passport in the fall will we even need to be showing it at that point? I doubt it at the pace of reopening we are going.
I think the concern isn't regional, but more international. The vaccine passport, in order to be effective, would probably have to be subject to a person's place of origin, destination, and vaccination (place of origin and destination for the off-chance that a new localized variant is not yet proven to be treated by the primary vaccines distributed to the citizens of the destination). And then, what if the vaccinations passed health regulations in one country but not in the other - is that still deemed a valid vaccination?
The more I think about it, the more I think a vaccine passport is necessary for out-of-country travel based on challenges like the ones above, but not much else.
Yes, I agree that by the time we have a functional electronic version of a vaccine passport it will be primarily for travel outside of North America, but for that we’re likely to need it for years to come.
I’m okay with needing vaccine passports to travel across borders…with Mexico and Canada alike. No vaccine, no entry. Not just for COVID either.
We are flying to England next Summer for the PJ shows. I expect we will have sort of vaccine passport requirement. I am flying to Colorado from St. Louis tomorrow, and plan on bringing proof of vaccination, even though they haven't said anything about needing it. I have a photo of my vaccination card stored on my phone.
Some places require that you get tested before you go if not vaccinated.
I keep seeing articles about the US pushing to have the border with Canada open. Lots of talk about business and tourism organizations being outraged that it’s still closed. Most of the articles are from American media, some are from Canadian media, but what they are missing is that overwhelmingly Canadians have not been wanting the border freely opened, and even now the majority of Canadians don’t want it opened yet, though people are warming up to the idea of an opening later this summer. We’re doing well with vaccinations and case numbers and we don’t want that screwed up.
I am at the point that if you are double vaxxed you should be able to freely travel as you please on either side of the border. The problem is though how easy it is to forge the documents. That new app coming out for Canada on July 5th will do a better job of it and when they finally unveil the vaccine passport in the fall will we even need to be showing it at that point? I doubt it at the pace of reopening we are going.
I think the concern isn't regional, but more international. The vaccine passport, in order to be effective, would probably have to be subject to a person's place of origin, destination, and vaccination (place of origin and destination for the off-chance that a new localized variant is not yet proven to be treated by the primary vaccines distributed to the citizens of the destination). And then, what if the vaccinations passed health regulations in one country but not in the other - is that still deemed a valid vaccination?
The more I think about it, the more I think a vaccine passport is necessary for out-of-country travel based on challenges like the ones above, but not much else.
Yes, I agree that by the time we have a functional electronic version of a vaccine passport it will be primarily for travel outside of North America, but for that we’re likely to need it for years to come.
I’m okay with needing vaccine passports to travel across borders…with Mexico and Canada alike. No vaccine, no entry. Not just for COVID either.
We are flying to England next Summer for the PJ shows. I expect we will have sort of vaccine passport requirement. I am flying to Colorado from St. Louis tomorrow, and plan on bringing proof of vaccination, even though they haven't said anything about needing it. I have a photo of my vaccination card stored on my phone.
Some places require that you get tested before you go if not vaccinated.
Then it is a good thing I am vaccinated. One less thing to have to get figured out when travelling.
Comments
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — As the U.S. emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, Missouri is becoming a cautionary tale for the rest of the country: It is seeing an alarming rise in cases because of a combination of the fast-spreading delta variant and stubborn resistance among many people to getting vaccinated.
Intensive care beds are filling up with surprisingly young, unvaccinated patients, and staff members are getting burned out fighting a battle that was supposed to be in its final throes.
The hope among some health leaders is that the rest of the U.S. might at least learn something from Missouri's plight.
“If people elsewhere in the country are looking to us and saying, ‘No thanks' and they are getting vaccinated, that is good," said Erik Frederick, chief administrative officer at Mercy Hospital Springfield, which has been inundated with COVID-19 patients as the variant first identified in India rips through the largely non-immunized community. “We will be the canary.”
The state now leads the nation with the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections, and the surge is happening largely in a politically conservative farming region in the northern part of the state and in the southwestern corner, which includes Springfield and Branson, the country music mecca in the Ozark Mountains where big crowds are gathering again at the city's theaters and other attractions.
While over 53% of all Americans have received at least one shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most southern and northern Missouri counties are well short of 40%. One county is at just 13%.
Cases remain below their winter highs in southwestern Missouri, but the trajectory is steeper than in previous surges, Frederick said. As of Tuesday, 153 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at Mercy and another Springfield hospital, Cox Health, up from 31 just over a month ago, county figures show.
These patients are also younger than earlier in the pandemic — 60% to 65% of those in the ICU over the weekend at Mercy were under 40, according to Frederick, who noted that younger adults are much less likely to be vaccinated — and some are pregnant.
He is hiring traveling nurses and respiratory therapists to help out his fatigued staff as the rest of the country tries to leave the pandemic behind.
“I feel like last year at this time it was health care heroes and everybody was celebrating and bringing food to the hospital and doing prayer vigils and stuff, and now everyone is like, ‘The lake is open. Let’s go.' We are still here doing this," he said.
There are also warning signs across the state line: Arkansas on Tuesday reported its biggest one-day jump in cases in more than three months. The state also has low vaccination rates.
Lagging rates — especially among young adults — are becoming an increasing source of concern elsewhere around the country, as is the delta variant.
The mutant version now accounts more than 20% of new COVID-19 infections in the U.S., doubling in just two weeks, the CDC said Tuesday. It is responsible for half of new cases across a swath that includes Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
“The delta variant is currently the greatest threat in the U.S. to our attempt to eliminate COVID-19,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert. He said there is a “real danger” of local surges like the one in Missouri in places with deep vaccine resistance.
To help counter the threat, administration officials are stepping up efforts to vaccinate Americans ages 18 to 26, who have proved least likely to get the shot when it’s available to them.
Elsewhere around the world, Britain, with an even higher vaccination rate than the U.S., has postponed the lifting of remaining restrictions on socializing in England because of the rapid spread of the variant. Israel, another vaccination success story, is reacting by tightening rules on travelers.
In Missouri, Republican Gov. Mike Parson has taken the position that it is better to ask people to take “personal responsibility" than to enact restrictions.
Missouri never had a mask mandate, and Parson signed a law last week placing limits on public health restrictions and barring governments from requiring proof of vaccination to use public facilities and transportation.
Missouri Health Department spokeswoman Lisa Cox said the agency is encouraging people to get vaccinated, but confessed: “This is the Show-Me State and Missourians are skeptical.”
Frederick said some people in the heavily Republican state are resistant because they feel as if Democrats are pushing the vaccine.
“I keep telling people, while we are busy fighting with each other, this thing is picking us off one by one,” he said. “It takes no sides. It has no political affiliation. It is not red. It is not blue. It is a virus. And if we don’t protect ourselves, we are going to do a lot of damage to our community.”
Steve Edwards, CEO of Cox Health, lamented in a tweet that while a number of major news organizations have contacted the hospital about the rise in cases, Fox News was not among them.
“Fox," he tweeted, “is the most popular cable news in our area — you can help educate on Delta, vaccines and can save lives."
Lisa Meeks, 49, of Springfield, is among those who haven't been vaccinated. She said that she is a Christian and that God gave her a strong immune system.
“As of right now, nobody knows anything long term or short term about these vaccines because they are brand new," she said, despite months of real-world evidence that the vaccines are highly safe and effective. “And so people are now basically the lab rats."
An offer of free beer from Mother's Brewing Co. in Springfield for those who get vaccinated drew a disappointing 20 to 50 people to each of the first three clinics.
“We keep trying,” said Jeff Schrag, owner and founder of Mother’s Brewing. “It is a game of inches.”
As immunizations slow, the delta variant has become the predominant form of the virus in the region. Aaron Schekorra, a spokesman for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said it makes up 93% of the random sample of cases that the county is sending for analysis, up from 70% three weeks ago.
He said that unvaccinated people gathering for graduation celebrations and Memorial Day festivities also fueled the spread of the virus. The events came just as the community lifted its mask mandate.
“My concern," he said, “would be that this is a preview of what is to come in other parts of the country that don’t have higher vaccination rates."
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
www.headstonesband.com
The more I think about it, the more I think a vaccine passport is necessary for out-of-country travel based on challenges like the ones above, but not much else.
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
www.headstonesband.com
www.headstonesband.com
astoria 06
albany 06
hartford 06
reading 06
barcelona 06
paris 06
wembley 07
dusseldorf 07
nijmegen 07
this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
oftenreading posts information complete with links to the information provided to corroborate said info. no degree necessary. and you post "those of us along the border want if (sic) open". care to post a link to THAT info?
and the "all you do is argue with people"?
LAUGH. A. BLE.
projection much?
www.headstonesband.com