COMMENTARY: The economics of vaccination

By Dickson Igwe, Contributor

Mandatory vaccination makes a significant cross-section of the general public uncomfortable. However, for the Virgin Islands to participate in the worldwide travel and tourism economy, the country must achieve herd immunity, which is the place of safety from the pandemic.

Countries that achieve herd immunity where a high percentage of the population is fully vaccinated and consequently at much lower risk from the COVID-19 virus and even the delta variant, are much more able to return to normality, without the recurring risk of lockdown and curfew.

The preceding impact on the economy, by shutting down business activity. The evidence from countries such as New Zealand and Australia, and numerous Pacific Islands that have not yet achieved herd immunity, but adopt draconian protocols, have shown that vaccination remains the only hope for a return to normal for humanity.

In the USA, the recent surge in the pandemic and the rapid spread of the delta variant has impacted the younger population and reaped havoc and death in counties where there are low vaccination rates.

The adoption of mandatory vaccination appears to be an incremental process. For the unvaccinated travel is becoming near impossible especially to Europe and the Asian Pacific.

Then numerous industries are adopting vaccination protocols making life difficult for unvaccinated residents. However mandatory vaccination has not arrived on British Virgin Islands shores. Mandatory testing at the Hospital and the “strong encouragement” for employees in tourism and other industries to get vaccinated is a sign of things to come.

The simple fact is that the economy cannot return to normal until a very high percentage of the population is fully vaccinated.

Until that time, the economy will remain on tenterhooks and at threat of sudden disruption. The most worrying factor is the fact that the under 21-year-old’s remain unvaccinated.

In the UK and elsewhere there is an increase in COVID-19 among the younger population leading to hospitalisation, and even death. This is especially so with the Delta Variant of the virus.

Consequently, the vaccination drive is similar to any wartime project that is conducted to save the country from trauma and even destruction. Getting the vast majority of the Virgin Islands population vaccinated is not an option. It is a matter of life and death.