An upside-down strategy? Covid-19 vaccine rollout /Ramesh Shrestha

 By Ramesh Shrestha

One year on

On 11th March 2021, exactly one year after the World Health Organisation declared the Corona Virus pandemic, more than 119 million individuals have been infected in 221 countries and territories, with more than 2.6 million casualties in 206 countries and territories. With at least three new strains of this virus, its mutation is likely to continue and its spread is unlikely to end any time soon. Covid-19 is going to stay with us competing with the existing common flu virus. It is up to us to prevent its spread by maintaining social distance and by accepting the recommended vaccines.

Strategy

According to case fatality reports, the older you are the higher the risk of dying once infected. This prompted governments to target the group most at risk in descending order, starting with people age 90+, 80+, 70+, etc. All lives are important and this strategy does look good at its face value. But considering how this virus spreads and the economic cost of the pandemic, I wonder whether it is the best strategy to prevent the spread of covid-19.

Lock down worked well during the initial stage. But now young people continue to demonstrate against the lockdown in so many cities. Young people are mobile. They are the ones who bring home the virus infecting other family members who stay at home, and by visiting others. In my view, an alternative strategy would have been to vaccinate all working age people in public as well as private business and all civil servants. This would automatically include all young people. It will also help to revive the economy sooner and operate all branches of civil service smoothly. It will prevent older people being infected wherever they are.

Avoidable victims

Many residents in old age homes fell victim to covid-19 without stepping out of the residence. It is possible that the residential homes may not be adequately managed although the families of these residents pay a premium price for their loved ones to be taken care of. Many of these residential homes appear to have basic minimum staff. The health authorities require staff to use face mask, frequent hand wash and sanitise all surfaces from the very beginning. The virus was possibly brought to the residences by the employees of the care homes unknowingly. What happened next is history.

Is my proposal unethical? I don’t think so.