Crank it up

ARKANSAS has officially hit the point in which demand for the vaccine has dropped below the supply. That’s not a great place to be during a pandemic. It feels like this state has taken its foot off the gas and is coasting now. That’s no way to defeat covid-19.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has been pragmatic from the start of this outbreak. He knows Arkansans are a headstrong and stubborn breed. Sometimes that works out great. Other times, like when it takes everyone to stamp out a deadly virus, it’s not the best quality to have. So now he’s set a goal of getting half the state’s population at least one dose in the next three months.

“Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday set a goal of increasing the proportion of Arkansans who have had at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine to at least 50 percent within the next 90 days—a target that he said would require the pace of vaccinations to increase,” the paper noted. “‘The big thing is that our decline needs to stop,’ Hutchinson said.”

If the governor can be pragmatic, we can be blunt. Fifty percent isn’t enough to stop covid-19 from spreading. Scientists have estimated it will take between 70 percent and 90 percent of folks getting vaccinated to keep the virus from having room to run.

Put aside all the conspiracy theories and nonsense you see on social media or hear on talk radio. This virus has killed more than half a million people in the U.S. so far. That’s an entire northwest Arkansas obliterated in one year. You might hear folks say it’s no worse than the flu. You might hear folks say it’s a hoax. You might hear folks say it doesn’t kill that many people. None of those are sufficient (or accurate) reasons to avoid vaccination.

It’s really easy to get a dose now. The Walgreens we visit offers walk-in vaccinations. And if you want it done and over with, the Johnson & Johnson shot is perfect because it’s just one visit and you’re good to go.

Right now, around one-third of the state is fully immunized. That’s not enough. And if you don’t want to do this to protect yourself, do it to protect your neighbors or grandparents. Even if you avoid sickness, you can unknowingly spread the virus and get loved ones killed.

This isn’t the time to be stubborn. It’s time to schedule an appointment or walk into a clinic, roll up your sleeve, and contribute to Team USA.