Vaccine rollout breeds mixed emotions
NEW YORK: Before posting a selfie with her Covid-19 vaccination card on Twitter, Aditi Juneja debated whether to include an explanation for why she was eligible for a shot.
“The first draft of the tweet had an explanation,” says Juneja, a 30-year-old lawyer in New York City.
After some thought, she decided to leave out that her body mass index is considered obese, putting her at higher risk of serious illness if infected. A friend who disclosed the same reason on social media was greeted with hateful comments, and Juneja wanted to avoid that.
The rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in the US is offering hope that the pandemic that has upended life around the world will finally draw to an end. But as distribution widens in the U.S., varying eligibility rules and unequal access to the coveted doses are also breeding guilt, envy and judgement among those who’ve had their doses — particularly the seemingly young and healthy — and the millions still anxiously awaiting their turn.
Adding to the second-guessing about who should be getting shots is the scattershot feel of the rollout, and the sense that some might be gaming the system. Faced with a patchwork of confusing scheduling systems, many who aren’t as technically savvy or socially connected have been left waiting even as new swaths of people become eligible.
The envy and moral judgements about whether others deserve to be prioritized are understandable and could reflect anxieties about being able to get vaccines for ourselves or our loved ones, says Nancy Berlinger, a bioethicist with the Hastings Center.
“There’s the fear of missing out, or fear of missing out on behalf of your parents,” she says.
Stereotypes about what illness looks are also feeding into doubts about people's eligibility, even though the reason a person got a shot won't always be obvious. In other cases, Berlinger says judgements could reflect entrenched biases about smoking and obesity, compared with conditions that society might deem more “virtuous,” such as cancer.
Yet even though a mass vaccination campaign is bound to have imperfections, Berlinger noted the goal is to prioritize people based on medical evidence on who’s most at risk if infected.
Nevertheless, the uneven rollout and varying rules across the country have some questioning decisions by local officials.
In New Jersey, 58-year-old software developer Mike Lyncheski was surprised when he learned in January that smokers of any age were eligible, since he knew older people at the time who were still waiting for shots.
“It didn’t seem like there was medical rationale for it,” says Lyncheski, who isn't yet eligible for the vaccines. He also noted there's no way to confirm that people are smokers, leaving the door open for cheating.
The suspicions are being fueled by reports of line jumpers or those stretching the definitions for eligibility. In New York, a Soul Cycle instructor got vaccinated after teachers became eligible in January, the Daily Beast reported, and later apologized for her “terrible error in judgement.” In Florida, two women wore bonnets and glasses to disguise themselves as elderly in hopes of scoring shots. Hospital board members, trustees and donors have also gotten shots early on, raising complaints about unfair access.
It's why some feel obligated to explain why they were able to get the vaccine. In an Instagram post, Jeff Klein held up his vaccination card and noted he was given a shot as a volunteer at a mass vaccination hub.
I definitely mentioned it on purpose, because I didn’t want people to get the wrong idea,” says Klein, a 44-year-old musician in Austin, Texas.
As she waited for a shot in Jacksonville, Florida, 33-year-old Amanda Billy said it could be frustrating seeing people her age in other states posting about getting vaccinated. She understood that state rollouts vary, but felt anxious because she has a medical condition that makes Covid-19 “very real and scary.”
“I’m just happy for them that they got it. But also, I want it,” she said in an interview before getting her first shot.
Others are finding they are opening themselves up to criticism when sharing news that they got a shot. Public figures in particular might become targets of second-guessing by strangers.
In New York, local TV news co-host Jamie Stelter posted a photo of herself after getting the first shot earlier this month. Many replies were positive, but others noted that she didn’t look old enough or that she must “have connections.”
Afterward, Stelter's co-host Pat Kiernan weighed in and tweeted that the “you don't look that sick to me” commentary she received was “evidence of the hell that Covid has placed us in.”
For Juneja, the decision to get a shot after becoming eligible wasn't easy, given the struggles she knew others were having securing appointments because of technology, language or other barriers. But she realized it wouldn't help for her to refrain from getting vaccinated.
CONSUMER Reports has recently released its 2021 Brand Report Card. The annual list, which measures 50 metrics such as reliability and owner satisfaction, has put Mazda on top of its rankings.
What makes Mazda’s performance in Consumer Reports’ rankings impressive is the fact all but one of its models being sold in the North American market are highly ranked as “Recommended” by the non-profit publication. The sole offender in Mazda’s lineup? It’s the CX-3, which ironically is also the least satisfying car on sale in the United States based on its survey to current owners. On the other hand, the all-new Mazda CX-30 continues to be highly praised by the media and it’s also Consumer Reports’ top pick in the subcompact SUV category.
Mazda’s most satisfying car in its lineup is the MX-5, with owners saying that 88 percent of them would buy the sportscar again. Consumer Reports give the MX-5 an overall score of 87 out of 100, with the sportscar’s driving dynamics receiving the most praise with a score of 95 out of 100.
Just last year, Mazda is also Consumer Reports’ most reliable car brand with a score of 83 out of 100. As for the most reliable car they’ve tested in 2020? That would be the Mazda MX-5, which has a score of 98 out of 100.
A notch below Mazda is BMW and then Subaru in third. Last year’s top notcher, Porsche, is now at fourth, with Honda completing the top 5.
Tesla, which is known to have the highest number of satisfied customers and loyal owners, continues to dominate satisfaction ratings. However, the electric automaker dropped five spots this year due to reliability issues from owners outweighing its cars’ extraordinarily high scores in other aspects.
Kia and Hyundai’s luxury automaker Genesis, which used to be top performers on this list, declined quite significantly this year. Genesis in particular slipped a whopping 13 spots due to declining predicted reliability. Kia slipped 10 places to its current position this year due to increased reliability concerns across its lineup.
Here’s a full list of all the brands that were evaluated in the report:
THE men and women of the tour set out for the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Challenge beginning today at the Aoki course are hopeful to shrug off any trickle-down effect on their rhythm coming off a long layoff for a stab at glory in Philippine Golf Tour's return to the mainstream.
But nobody comes into the PGT event with as much confidence and poise as the young Ira Alido, who broke at least a couple of failed bids by dominating the elite field by nine for his breakthrough victory at Riviera last December.
“I think my advantage is I'm playing with a high level of confidence,” said Alido, who nevertheless remains wary of the field beefed up by the presence of three Del Monte aces, who missed the Tour's return after an eight-month hiatus due to pandemic at Riviera due to quarantine restrictions.
Clyde Mondilla and Frankie Miñoza, both former Philippine Open champions, and Reymon Jaraula, who annexed his first PGT win at Pueblo de Oro in 2019, join the chase for top honors in the P2 million event which also features the likes of Angelo Que and Miguel Tabuena, also both former Phl Open titlists, and multititled Tony Lascuña, Jhonnel Ababa, Jobim Carlos, Jay Bayron and Elmer Salvador along with young guns Justin Quiban, James Ryan Lam, Fidel Concepcion and Keanu Jahns.
Focus will also be on the LPGT title chase with Princess Superal and Pauline del Rosario bracing for another face-off and the likes of debuting pro Harmie Constantino, Daniella Uy, Chanelle Avaricio, Marvi Monsalve, Gretchen Villacencio, Pamela Mariano, Sunshine Baraquiel and former three-time Order of Merit winner Cyna Rodriguez raring to fuel their respective bids in the 54- championship a three
hole coming off month break. "We're all a bit rusty but it's nice to be playing at home again," said Tabuena, who tied for seventh and 11th in the two Riviera events. "It will be hard because we have not played tournament golf for quite some time but it's the same for everyone. So, I guess that if I just play my best at the end of the week, I'll have a chance."
Alido faces an early test as he drew Que in the 7:50 a.m. flight on No. 1 with Rupert Zaragosa behind Lascuña's group composed of Bayron and Quiban while Tabuena takes on Jaraula and Jahns in next group at 8 a.m.
Mondilla, who snatched the PGT Asia Pradera crown in early 2020 before the pandemic, launches his drive at the back at 7:30 a.m. with Albin Engino and Jed Dy, one of the amateurs earning spots in the event along with Jolo Magcalayo and Laurea Duque in the LPGT side.
Superal, meanwhile, gets to test Constantino and Avaricio at 7:10 a.m. on No. 10 behind Del Rosario, who is paired with Uy and Mariano.
The long hitters could take advantage of the 6690-yard Aoki course but Alido warns of the various challenges lurking around the rolling wind-raked layout, where a slight mistake could lead to high scores but where accurate shots could pave the way for desired results.
The organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. put up a couple of bubble tournaments at Riviera late last year to mark the circuit's restart with Lascuña and Alido along with Superal and del Rosario splitting top honors in their respective sides.
The Games and Amusements Board also cited the PGTI's strict compliance with the government's health and safety protocols and readily endorsed the staging of more pro golf events.