LETTER: A governmental failure on vaccine distribution
The national COVID-19 response continues to be a disaster — with the exception of Operation Warp Speed and the rapid development of the RNA-based vaccines. Nevada and federal officials are still ignoring the most basic fact — 80 percent of the fatalities are aged 60-plus, yet this share of the population is not the priority target for inoculation.
COVID-19 has been reported as no more fatal to those younger than 60 — and less so to school-age children — than the seasonal flu.
Most, but not all, international governments have crippled their economies and delayed their children’s educations by imposing nonscientific methods and shutdowns. Why governments made these reactive wrong decisions last winter is understood. We had no scientific data on this virus 11 months ago.
But if slowing the deaths is the priority, we are vaccinating the wrong people first.
Why our government has not self corrected by now is unforgivable — or an example of political cowardice characterized by a fear of admitting failure.
When repeatedly confronted with the facts, the official response is either “we are following the science” or silence. The general public has been more patient than its government deserves. But I fear the social fabric is more fragile than government realizes.