Skip to main content

New top story from Time: How Social Lives Are Changing During the U.S. Vaccine Rollout

https://ift.tt/3d0D3Iz

Andrea Norred wasn’t too surprised to learn that many of her friends, as well as her 18-year-old son, have decided not to get vaccinated against COVID-19. She lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., a coastal city with an above-average rate of vaccine skepticism. Norred attributes that phenomenon to the area’s “hippie, free love” vibe; in many such communities, faith in natural or holistic medicine correlates with mistrust of vaccines, quite possibly to dangerous effects.

Norred, 42, tries to be accepting of that choice, but it’s difficult. Herd immunity is particularly important for Norred; she has an immune deficiency that both puts her at high risk of severe COVID-19 and reduces vaccines’ effectiveness in her body. She has been hunkered down in isolation for the last year and says she won’t feel safe spending time around unvaccinated people while COVID-19 continues to spread. So for Norred, each unvaccinated friend is, at least temporarily, a friend lost.

“I don’t know that things will ever be the same for me, socially, as long as COVID is around,” she says. The situation with her son is particularly painful. All she wants to do is give him a hug, but she doesn’t know when that will be possible again.

Norred’s situation is particularly high stakes, but she’s not alone. For a year, the pandemic has uprooted countless social lives, shrinking them to fit inside our devices. For some, vaccination is starting to change that. Fully vaccinated people now have the CDC’s stamp of approval to hang out inside and maskless with a few vaccinated friends, or to visit with unvaccinated-but-healthy loved ones, one household at a time.

But as of March 23, only about 13.5% of people in the U.S. were fully vaccinated. And this semi-protected phase is fraught. With some people vaccinated but most not—by choice or otherwise—relationships of all kinds are under strain. Some people, like Norred, are forced to choose between safety and social support; others are developing vaccine envy as they watch people around them get immunized; and still others are shaping their social events around attendees’ vaccination statuses.

The result is a social code in flux. COVID-19 vaccines are the key to someday returning to a version of our pre-pandemic lives. But during the strange limbo of vaccine rollout, they are causing a whole new set of social dilemmas.


Tom Zohar, 36, didn’t fully appreciate how many of his friends were educators until he watched them get vaccinated before him, one by one. “Every time I see anyone get vaccinated, I get really happy,” says Zohar, who lives in California and works in tech support. “But it is kind of this feeling of, ‘What about me? When do I get it? When is it my turn?'” (Zohar has since received his first dose.)

As more people get vaccinated, allowing them to take small steps toward normality, it’s only natural for the unprotected to feel impatient, even left out. In a March TIME/Harris Poll survey, about 60% of respondents listed a desire to see friends and family again as a motivator for getting vaccinated.

After months of separation, it’s only human to be eager to reunite with loved ones. And, more and more, people are basing their social calendars around their friends and families’ vaccination statuses. For those who aren’t vaccinated, FOMO is increasingly a motivator for trying to get a shot.

Take weddings, for example. In an informal social media poll conducted in March by David’s Bridal, almost 20% of engaged couples said they will make their weddings vaccine-mandatory for guests. In a similar poll conducted in December 2020 by bridal brand Birdy Grey, about 35% said they planned to do so.

Sukhmanii Kahlon, a 28-year-old clinical research coordinator and medical student living in Seattle, says she and her doctor fiancé knew right away they’d make their wedding vaccine-mandatory, after postponing it from June 2020 to 2022. The couple will ask each guest to include their vaccination status with their RSVP, she says.

“Being medical professionals, we have to do everything we can to keep everyone safe,” Kahlon says. She’s realistic about the fact that such a policy could ruffle feathers—she has a few friends and relatives who have chosen not to get vaccinated—but she views it as non-negotiable. “I am sure it will shorten the guest list,” Kahlon says, “but it will also ensure a safer wedding for everyone attending.”

Dating apps have also tracked major increases in the number of people mentioning the word “vaccine” in their profiles—a sign that many singles are choosing potential partners based at least in part on their immunity status. That’s a logical enough choice, since vaccinated people can safely meet in person and without masks, but it’s also throwing a wrench in the typical, surface-level flirting that takes place on these apps.

Natalie, a 26-year-old living in Ohio who asked to be identified by first name only for privacy reasons, discovered that firsthand when she recently logged into the dating app Coffee Meets Bagel. A pop-up message filled her screen, asking her to disclose whether she had been vaccinated against COVID-19. (As of mid-March, she’d gotten one dose and was awaiting her second.) While she was surprised to see the app asking for that information, Natalie says she probably wouldn’t date anyone unvaccinated.

Natalie has been cautious throughout the pandemic. She’s desperate to visit her father, who is vaccinated, but is waiting to make the trip, since her stepmother isn’t vaccinated and she hasn’t gotten her own second dose. Compared to that sacrifice, she says, it’s an easy choice to limit her dating pool to vaccinated people.

“We’re either just going to keep talking back and forth on [the app] until you get vaccinated, or I’m just going to say, ‘See ya,'” Natalie says with a laugh.


Not everyone is on board with that trend. Christopher Eithun, who is 31 and lives in Wisconsin, says he finds it “off-putting” when someone lists their vaccination status in a dating profile. He finds it tonally odd, and says it feels like another hoop to jump through on the way to finding love. “There are enough hurdles as it is,” he says.

Eithun says he’ll get his shots once he’s eligible. In the meantime, though, he’s found it frustrating to be penalized for something out of his control. “Some people don’t have access to them,” he says. It would be one thing to implement a vaccine-mandatory policy once COVID-19 shots are as prevalent as flu shots, Eithun says, but he finds it deflating to do so now, when even most people who want to be vaccinated aren’t.

Access isn’t always the problem, though. As of February 2021, about 30% of Americans said they probably or definitely would not get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Pew Research Center. In many cases, that vaccine hesitancy leaves their relatives and friends with a difficult choice to make.

Zohar, the 36-year-old from California, is grappling with that situation right now, after his father announced that he did not intend to get the shot. “If he chooses not to get vaccinated, I don’t think I’m going to see him unless things improve drastically, to the point that we don’t really have to worry about [COVID-19] anymore,” Zohar says. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.”

Given her immune deficiency, and the number of her friends who are opposed to the shot, Norred is in an even more precarious position. She says she feels helpless as she watches life inch back toward normal for other people, while she remains quarantined inside with her two cats. “Everyone’s going to get put back together and I’m going to be sitting here, haggard in my cave,” she says light-heartedly.

She grows more serious as she considers the fact that she might have to make new, vaccinated friends, just to regain a social circle. “We’re all just trying to get through each day,” Norred says. “For me, personally, that means moving forward in the world as safely as possible, and having people around me that are vaccinated.”

Her dilemma likely sounds familiar to many people, even those without the added challenge of a chronic health condition. In a March poll from Axios/Ipsos, about 30% of respondents said they won’t return to in-person gatherings until their whole social circle is vaccinated. But what if key members of one’s circle never get vaccinated? There’s no roadmap for what happens then.

“People are looking at vaccination from a standpoint of, ‘It protects me,’” Norred says, but some don’t seem to realize that their choices also affect others. “It’s not over for anyone,” she says, “until it’s over for everyone.”

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New top story from Time: At the Republican National Convention, You Might Think COVID-19 Was Over

https://ift.tt/2Eo94gy Listening to the speakers at the Republican National Convention, you might be forgiven for thinking that the coronavirus pandemic is over. Many have largely ignored the virus that has killed nearly 180,000 Americans, despite the fact that it continues to seriously disrupt life in the United States, including their own event. Others, like White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, referred to the pandemic in the past tense: “It was awful,” Kudlow said on August 25. “Health and economic impacts were tragic. Hardship and heartbreak were everywhere. But presidential leadership came swiftly and effectively with an extraordinary rescue for health and safety to successfully fight the COVID virus.” When Vice President Mike Pence took the stage Wednesday night, his speech was a striking example of the Trump Administration’s attempts to reframe the history of the pandemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide and nearly ground the American

New top story from Time: TWICE Delivers Uplifting Performance of ‘DEPEND ON YOU’ at TIME100 Talks

https://ift.tt/3a8KgF0 TWICE delivered a special performance at the TIME100 Talks Friday. For the first time, the South Korean group performed the track “DEPEND ON YOU” from its latest album, Eyes Wide Open . As the coronavirus pandemic continues, members Jihyo, Nayeon, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu offered fans a message of solidarity and gratitude (vocalist Jeongyeon is on hiatus due to health reasons). “ Currently, we are sad to say that we are also aware that all of us are suffering in this situation,” Sana said. “We appreciate all people who are doing their best to return us to our normal lives and to bring back brighter days,” Nayeon continued. “TWICE will diligently keep on carrying out our duty to bring positive energy into the world,” Mina said. In line with these words, the group sang “DEPEND ON YOU”—a breezy, mellow track about steady hands that offer strength and support in the midst of darkness. “DEPEND ON YOU” first appeared on Eyes

New top story from Time: House Passes President Biden’s $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Bill

https://ift.tt/2ZVMCSX WASHINGTON — The House approved a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill in a win for President Joe Biden, even as top Democrats tried assuring agitated progressives that they’d revive their derailed drive to boost the minimum wage. The new president’s vision for flushing cash to individuals, businesses, states and cities battered by COVID-19 passed on a near party-line 219-212 vote early Saturday. That ships the massive measure to the Senate, where Democrats seem bent on resuscitating their minimum wage push and fights could erupt over state aid and other issues. Democrats said the still-faltering economy and the half-million American lives lost demanded quick, decisive action. GOP lawmakers, they said, were out of step with a public that polling shows largely views the bill favorably. “I am a happy camper tonight,” Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said Friday. “This is what America needs. Republicans, you ought to be a part of this. But if you’re not,

New top story from Time: Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Reportedly Stepping Down Over Health Concerns

https://ift.tt/32yNoGh (TOKYO) — Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed his intention to step down due to his declining health, according to reports Friday by NHK and other Japanese media. The Prime Minister’s Office said the report could not be immediately confirmed, but that Abe was believed to be meeting top ruling officials at the party headquarters. The Liberal Democratic Party spokesman did not answer the phone. Concerns about Abe’s chronic health issues, simmering since earlier this summer, intensified this month when he visited a Tokyo hospital two weeks in a row for unspecified health checkups. Abe, whose term ends in September 2021, is expected to stay on until a new party leader is elected and formally approved by the parliament. He had abruptly resigned from his first stint in office in 2007 due to his health, which was fueling concerns about his recent condition. Abe on Monday became Japan’s longest serving prime minister by consecutive days in of

In-Person Pride Parade & Celebrations Return This Month!

In-Person Pride Parade & Celebrations Return This Month! By Pamela Johnson The SFMTA is happy to join San Francisco Pride celebrations when they return to in-person events this month as the city continues its recovery from the pandemic. This year’s theme is “Love will Keep Us Together.” The Trans March is happening on Friday, June 24 and the Pride Parade is on Sunday, June 26. SFMTA staff are, of course, an important part of the LGBTQIA+ community that keeps SF moving with Pride. Pride is an opportunity for us to demonstrate our continued support of the LGBTQIA+ community, promoting our core values of respect, inclusivity and integrity.  History/Background of SF Pride   San Francisco had its first Pride celebration in 1970. For more than three decades the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies have been moving San Francisco forward to become a better, safer, and more equitable world for the LGBTQIA+ community and the city a better place for people to live, work and enjoy.    His

New top story from Time: ‘Do Not Hold Grudges.’ Joe Biden’s Notes Reveal Talking Points About Kamala Harris

https://ift.tt/2X4natB (WILMINGTON, Del.) — Joe Biden was uncharacteristically tight-lipped on Tuesday about the final stretch of his search for a vice president. But the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee seemed prepared to talk about at least one leading contender: California Sen. Kamala Harris. As he took questions from reporters on Tuesday, Biden held notes that were captured by an Associated Press photographer. Harris’ name was scrawled across the top, followed by five talking points. “Do not hold grudges.” “Campaigned with me & Jill.” “Talented.” “Great help to campaign.” “Great respect for her.” Those are all observations Biden has made about Harris before. But they take on new significance following a recent Politico report that one of Biden’s closest friends and a co-chair of his vice presidential vetting committee, former Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, still harbors concerns about Harris’ tough debate stage performance and that she hasn’t expressed reg

How to inculcate Financial Literacy in your Children

    Many of us may have experienced the kid insisting to get alluring stuff being shown on TV in various ads. The kid may be scrolling through e-commerce websites and finding some attractive clothes, toys or, articles of makeup falsely claiming miraculous results. Are they worth buying? Are their usefulness had proven. In several examples, they end up being useless.                                                 Despite having felt their worthlessness, most parents yield to the pressure of their kids only just to make them happy. The big business houses understand this basic instinct and exploit the parent by pushing ads that might allure children and the parent find no way but to buy those stuff for their kids. Thus making a big profit by leveraging their product to target children and adolescents.           This is why we need to inculcate financial literacy in the children from the beginning so that they may develop a skill to judge the utility versus the price of the products, the

New top story from Time: The Key Foreign Policy Challenges Facing President Biden

https://ift.tt/3r5L5W1 We’ve already dived into the U.S. domestic political divisions Joe Biden faces, but as his administration begins getting key officials confirmed this week , let’s survey some of the other big challenges he’ll have to tackle: the geopolitics, the economics, and the technology. In geopolitics, Biden will spend time and political capital rebuilding the Transatlantic relationship, something other recent U.S. presidents never had to worry about. He’ll have to re-establish U.S. credibility in the region by reassuring South Korea, Japan and other Asian allies—who are rightly fearful that Trumpism might return—that the U.S. remains committed to help them manage challenges created by China’s rise. That means a tighter alignment of free-market democracies and a coordinated multilateral approach. Biden will also need to persuade Russia that bad behavior, whether cyber operations targeted abroad or domestic political repression , will have consequences. On I

Farmers’ stir: Protesters thinning out at Ghazipur border, NH-24 opened for traffic https://ift.tt/3psgykC

The Ghazipur-Delhi border on the NH-24, one of the protest sites of farmers against the agri laws, was quiet on Wednesday night following fissures emerged among the farm groups. According to reports, almost 50 per cent of the farmers have returned from the border. 

Traffic Collisions have Decreased on San Francisco’s Slow Streets

Traffic Collisions have Decreased on San Francisco’s Slow Streets By Julia Malmo   As a whole, Slow Streets are safer than they were before being designated Slow Streets  Streets that are part of the SFMTA’s  Slow Streets Program have become measurably safer since the program began in 2020, with the number of traffic crashes falling by almost half. On average, these corridors have seen a 48% drop in collisions following their designation as Slow Streets, compared with a 14% drop in collisions citywide over the same period. Slow Streets also are more welcoming for people who walk, bike and roll. Fewer than 1,000 vehicles per day use all but four of the current Slow Streets (20th Street, Minnesota Street, Noe Street, and Page Street).  The goal of the program is to create safe, shared streets that are comfortable and enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities, using any mode of transportation. We now can see how it’s doing in a new evaluation report . When the SFMTA Board appr