Sad and Flummoxed: A Comparison of Vaccination Rates in Marin and Lane Counties
What is wrong with us in Lane County? How can so many of us be bamboozled into rejecting the life-saving vaccine?
What a depressing front page story the other day in the Eugene Register-Guard. The headline sounds promising: “County doles out first set of Covid-19 booster shots,” although “doles out” – if I may critique the Lane County newspaper of record’s language choice here – fails to report the reality: vaccination is trashed in our county because of the deadly anti-vax mentality of too many of our neighbors.
Allow me to put the story I’m about to tell you into personal context. I commute between my home and professor role in Lane County and my home and writer’s office in Marin County, California. Before you yell, “He’s just another Californicater crowding our Oregon roads and driving up our Oregon housing prices,” I suggest I’ve got cred and pedigree otherwise.
My parents moved from my Sausalito hometown to Ashland in the early 1970’s, back when they ignored Governor Tom McCall famous speech: “We want you to visit our State of Excitement often. Come again and again. But for heaven's sake, don't move here to live. Or if you do have to move in to live, don't tell any of your neighbors where you are going.” So Jackson County became my second home. I’ve marital rights to residency, too. My wife Sheila lived in Wolf Creek before she and I met. And we’ve called Eugene home since I accepted a professorship in the School of Journalism and Communication at the UO a dozen years ago. Go Ducks.
Now back to Covid. When I received my booster shot at a Eugene pharmacy, I thanked the dedicated health care provider for the work he was doing for our community. That prompted him to open up about his personal and professional frustrations vis-à-vis those in our Oregon and Lane County population not getting vaccinated. He told me about the vaccine doses he’s forced to throw out before enough customers come through his door to use up a batch. Unused vaccine in opened containers spoils after several hours. He lamented that members of his own family refuse the vaccine, that his sister is lobbying him to stop administering the vaccine.
How does this snapshot relate to our county-wide reality? Let me take you back to that Register-Guard story which reports that “a little more than 60% of the county is fully vaccinated.” Now travel with me 525 miles south on I-5, across the north side of San Pablo Bay and down 101 to Marin. Here are the latest Marin numbers: 97.7% of Marin residents 12 years old and older have received one vaccine dose, 91.3% of the county aged 12 plus is fully vaccinated. And despite these enviable numbers, masks are required in our Marin stores and restaurants. Many Marin locals wear their masks walking on our cities’ sidewalks – both for added personal protection and as a sign of respect for their neighbors.
When I flew home to Eugene for the start of the fall UO term the taxi driver who picked me up at the airport was unmasked, his faded blue face covering was hanging from the gearshift. There was no barrier between the front and back seats of the little car. The windows were closed. My KN95 mask was snug on my face and I, using the most polite tone of voice I could muster, said, “May I ask you, please, to don your mask?” while I rolled down my window seeking fresh air.
“I will for you,” was the grumbled reply. On the ride across town, he explained to me that Covid was no big deal and that he hadn’t worn his mask while driving the cab for a year until I showed up in his back seat to disturb his routine. We ended the ride finally finding common ground: We talked about the Emeralds. Baseball! The great American equalizer. He’s an Emeralds fan so of course I was forced to rationalize adding a tip to the fare.
But what is wrong with us in Lane County? How can so many of us be bamboozled into rejecting the life-saving vaccine? And how can so many of us be without the type of mutual respect – the type of community spirit – that would motivate us to want the vaccine to protect both ourselves and our neighbors?
Sixty percent vs. 91.3%!? Crazy. Unacceptable. Deadly.
Sign me, as letter writers to Dear Abbey might end a request for advice, sad and flummoxed.
Peter Laufer is the University of Oregon James Wallace Chair Professor in Journalism and author of The Elusive State of Jefferson: A Journey through the 51st State.
"Eugene, Oregon" by Maciek Lulko is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
The question is what is wrong with Californians who flee high taxes and a nanny state big government who are noe destroying Oregon with their liberal beliefs.