Boston Herald

Mocking vax resisters isn’t helping anyone

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You’ve likely seen the headlines about COVID-19 killing radio hosts and activists who opposed vaccines and masks. Several of those headlines were about Caleb Wallace, a Texan who helped organize a “freedom rally” this summer to protest mask-wearing.

Some corners of the internet reacted with ridicule to news of his death last month, sparing no thought to Wallace’s grieving wife and daughters.

It’s important that we all resist the impulse to scream, “I told you so!” Yes, it’s maddening to find ourselves swept up in yet another wave of COVID-19 cases eight months into the rollout of vaccines that should have ended this pandemic by now. But every death is a tragedy and should be treated as such.

Mocking vaccine skeptics who’ve been fed misinforma­tion won’t convince people on the fence to get vaccinated. Our inclinatio­n should be to show others that we care about them, not to win an argument.

A Census Bureau survey and polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation show that concerns about side effects or the newness of the vaccine and distrust in the government rank among the top reasons why people are hesitant to get the shots.

Yes, there are relentless vaccine skeptics whose foolish actions demonstrat­e they’re immune to reason. But the loud ones don’t represent all.

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