12 OCTOBER 7, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Wise up and wake up
Faced with a sudden smallpox outbreak
in March 1947, New York City
quickly mobilized to prevent a major
pandemic that could have sickened
and killed thousands of people.
In roughly six weeks’ time, more than
5 million New Yorkers received the
smallpox vaccine. The feared epidemic
was completely blunted; by late April, the
outbreak had been declared over.
Compare that to today, where more
than 5.3 million New Yorkers are now
fully vaccinated against COVID-19. But
this vaccination eff ort began in earnest
in mid-January; the vaccine was made
available to all people, 12 and older, in
late May.
The city was starkly diff erent back
in 1947. Social media did not exist, so
misinformation didn’t spread as rapidly
and widely as it does now. Cable news
channels weren’t around, so loud talking
heads didn’t have a platform by which to
indoctrinate the masses with lies about
the vaccine’s eff ectiveness.
The smallpox vaccine wasn’t looked
upon through a political eye. Democrats
and Republicans alike acknowledged
EDITORIAL
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In 1947, the feared smallpox epidemic was completely blunted, thanks to New Yorkers’ willingness to take a
vaccine. Today, more New Yorkers must be willing to get vaccinated in an eff ort to put an end to the COVID-19
pandemic. Photo via Getty Images
the reality of the situation and rolled up
cases combined between Sept. 22-28 —
their sleeves together.
and it doesn’t need to be this way.
Would such wisdom prevail in our
The vaccine is safe, and works. Yet a
society today, we could truly beat back
minority of deniers seeks to keep the
COVID-19. Instead, the virus continues
majority of New Yorkers in danger of
to spread some 19 months into the
this disease — and are shamefully getting
health crisis, and the areas of New York
assistance they don’t deserve.
City where vaccination rates are below
Unions have sought legal intervention
average are now getting hit harder by
to stop city vaccine mandates. Restaurants
the virus.
have fi led lawsuits seeking to stop
Brooklyn alone has 22 areas where
mandatory vaccine checks of customers.
vaccination rates are under 60% that
It’s enough to make a rational person
recorded more than 1,100 new COVID-19
bang their heads against the wall. Aft er
19 months of COVID-19, when will they
learn?
Forgive us for not feeling sorry for
New Yorkers who continue to bury
their heads in the sand and deny, deny,
deny. But they now are the last obstacle
standing in the way of fi nally ending
this pandemic, and moving on with
our lives.
It’s time for this stubborn lot to wise
up, wake up and rid themselves of their
terminal infl exibility.
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