Don’t wait to get second COVID shot

How to make sense of the subset of eligible people who have received one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine but not the second? They’re not averse to the idea of vaccinations. They certainly take the virus seriously to some extent. But for whatever reason, they haven’t taken all the necessary steps to protect themselves and others from an illness that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans in the past two years.

Experts are clear. To get proper protection, two shots of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines are necessary. Getting one is good. But the 200,000-odd Connecticut residents who haven’t yet received the second shot need to make it a priority.

Doctors recommend three weeks between shots, and nationwide some 15 million people are reportedly overdue for dose No. 2. It’s a gap in our public health response to COVID that must be addressed, because even as the pandemic continues to rage, the steps the public has taken to prevent the worst have been insufficient.

The main focus, of course, has been on people who have forgone a vaccine altogether. Even amid piles of evidence that the vaccines are safe and effective, as well as their wide availability, too many people are deciding to go without, either in a misguided sense of their own expertise or for other, less clear reasons.

The result is a pandemic that should have petered out months ago continues to rage nearly out of control. It’s not as serious in Connecticut as elsewhere in the country, and there are indications that the havoc wreaked by the delta variant has started to wane, but the situation remains serious.

It’s not just the unvaccinated at risk. Vaccines are not magic, and while they significantly lessen the chance someone will get sick from or pass on the coronavirus, they don’t eliminate the risk. In addition, many parts of the country report hospitals overflowing with COVID patients, leaving little room for anyone else who might need emergency medical care. It’s not just COVID that we need to worry about.

Still, the partially vaccinated are different. Some may have been too busy to schedule a second appointment, or maybe it just slipped their minds. Other people may have slipped through the cracks — if someone got two shots at different pharmacies, for instance, it’s possible that their records are simply not up to date.

Regardless, there’s a hole in our virus response that must be filled. Connecticut has been as good as nearly any other state in terms of rate of vaccinations, which is why after the initial surge in March 2020 Connecticut has been among the safer places to ride out the storm. To keep that status, we need to maintain momentum on inoculations.

Shots are widely available, but it’s not always convenient to stop and get one. Still, everyone who can needs to take the time to get it done. For those who are halfway there, know that you’ve already done the hard part; you just need a little follow-through.

Don’t delay. Get the second shot.

Many parts of the country report hospitals overflowing with COVID patients, leaving little room for anyone else who might need emergency medical care. It’s not just COVID that we need to worry about.