Jumping to the head of the line?
Sports commissioners get paid a huge amount of money to do what is best for sports teams’ owners. At some point, some sports commissioner was going to come up with an idea that would get players to the head of the COVID-19 vaccine line, ahead of those who are in a higher risk category for getting a severe case of COVID-19. The National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver and his staff have figured out a way for NBA players to jump the COVID-19 vaccine line. Have players get the vaccine and prove to those resisting taking the vaccine, which is not readily available to more than 90 percent of Americans, that the vaccine is safe. The NBA players would provide a public service showing that it is perfectly acceptable to get two jabs in the arm. In this way, NBA personnel can get as much COVID-19 protection as possible from the vaccine and be heroes in some communities.
The plan is just that, a plan but Silver, who has clout with public health officials by being the face of an enormously popular entertainment form, is pursuing it from a humanitarian level. “It’s something we’re particularly focused on,” Silver said Tuesday in a virtual conference hosted by Sportico. “In the African American community, there’s been an enormously disparate impact from COVID. But now, somewhat perversely, there’s been enormous resistance in the African American community for understandable historical reasons.” Silver added that public health officials with whom he has spoken think “there would be a real public health benefit to getting some very high-profile African Americans vaccinated.” NBA personnel are waiting for the green light to get vaccines. Public health officials are scrambling to get the vaccine in massive quantities to Americans over the age of 65. NBA players should wait in line.
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes-https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
