Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

COVID privilege? Younger Americans get vaccinated first, while leaders flout their own restrictions

COVID privilege? Younger Americans get vaccinated first, while leaders flout their own restrictions

As the COVID-19 pandemic trails into 2021, the unseemly specter of what might be termed "COVID privilege" is becoming increasingly apparent, as younger, less-vulnerable Americans are receiving the lion's share of coronavirus vaccines and elected officials and public employees continue to ignore the COVID-19 restrictions they themselves have set or demanded.

Nominal public servants, meanwhile — exemplified by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio dancing in an empty Times Square as well as a schoolteacher calling for continued school shutdowns while vacationing in the Caribbean — suggest that many community and civil leaders may consider COVID safety measures to be a hierarchical rather than a civilizational concern.

State-level vaccine data show that young-to-middle-aged Americans are in many cases receiving a high percentage of vaccines administered by states, levels significantly outpacing their relative vulnerability to the respiratory disease.

In Pennsylvania, for instance, the state's COVID vaccination dashboard shows that adults 64 years old and younger had as of Saturday received around 106,000 of the state's 128,800 vaccine injections — about 82% of total injections — with most of the remaining 18% going toward older individuals.

That's in spite of the fact that Americans over 65 have constituted the vast majority of deaths classified as being caused by COVID-19: Provisional CDC data indicate that, as of Dec. 26, Americans older than 65 constitute about 80% of all deaths from COVID-19.

Similar vaccination rates in favor of the young can be observed in Michigan, where according to the state, only 16% of vaccinations have gone to residents older than 60. In Ohio, only 26% of vaccines have gone to individuals in that age group. In Virginia, the number is 18%, as is also the case in Oregon.

Those lopsided numbers in favor of younger and healthier populations may be indicative of campaigns undertaken by public health officials to vaccinate "frontline" healthcare workers en masse due to elevated risks of contracting the virus in healthcare settings.

Yet the overwhelmingly higher likelihood of an elderly patient's dying from COVID-19 still raises uncomfortable questions as to why so few of them are receiving it in the initial rollout of the vaccines, and why so many less vulnerable populations are receiving the majority of the still scarce injections.

'Public servants' flout their own COVID rules, standards


As younger Americans receive the lion's share of vaccines so far, elected officials and public employees are flouting COVID-19 mitigation rules and protocols, taking vacations and enjoying public festivities even as they have advocated, and ordered, the closure and shutdown of many public amenities.

In New York City on New Year's Eve, Mayor Bill de Blasio publicly enjoyed a dance with his wife in Time's Square after ordering New Yorkers to avoid the popular New Year's destination. "Don't go down there," de Blasio urged just hours before twirling with his wife on a stage amid live music and oversized novelty champaign bottles.

A Chicago Teachers Union leader, meanwhile, was this week caught vacationing in the Caribbean after advocating the continued closure of public schools in favor of remote instruction. She later defended the decision to travel by stating that she took several COVID tests beforehand and wore two masks over her face while en route.

Such apparent hypocrisy has been observed many times now over the course of the pandemic. Prior to Thanksgiving, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock urged city residents to remain home during Thanksgiving; he was subsequently found to have traveled to Mississippi with his family for the holiday.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom received significant blowback earlier this year for having feasted at the Michelin-starred French Laundry restaurant, unmasked and with a large group, even as he has imposed significant indoor dining restrictions and masking orders on the state of California since the start of the pandemic.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed also attended a dinner at that restaurant, just a few days before her city shut down indoor dining over concerns that COVID might spread in restaurants.

Over the summer, meanwhile, Anthony Fauci — the infectious disease expert who has repeatedly called for continued bans on large gatherings as well as strict public mask mandates— was photographed attending a Washington Nationals baseball game in a nearly empty stadium, at one point failing to socially distance while leaving his mask pulled down.

And New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in November hastily cancelled Thanksgiving plans with his family after strong public backlash to the news that his elderly mother and two of his daughters would be joining him for the holiday.

Cuomo had earlier warned New York residents to celebrate the feast virtually before revealing that his 89-year-old mother would celebrate the meal with him. Following the backlash, a Cuomo spokesman said the governor would have to work through the holiday and would not be seeing his family.

Coronavirus task force member Dr. Deborah Birx, meanwhile, appeared to flout her own guidance discouraging Thanksgiving weekend travel with members of different households. Birx endured a public backlash she described as so "overwhelming" that it prompted her to retire.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
×