With us going back to dining in after National Day, I feel it’s important to speak about vaccination in Singapore. The government has announced that only vaccinated people will be allowed to dine out, amidst other things. I would like to voice my opinion about the situation (for SG) but please note that I am fully vaccinated, although I find that does not change how I view the situation. I am not here to convince you to be vaccinated, but rather explain the rationale behind the government and companies’ actions towards the vaccinated and unvaccinated. I have no intentions of upselling the vaccination.
Let the record state that:
- I am supportive of the rollout of the vaccine. I took the vaccine because I wanted to feel safe from COVID-19.
- I am also aware that the vaccines offered (in SG) are currently in clinical trials (Phase 3), and that there may be side effects in the long term from taking the vaccine.
The 1st fact to be established, is that being vaccinated DOES NOT reduce your chances of contracting the virus. The vaccine only reduces the implications of the virus, if you catch it. The 2nd is that both vaccinated and unvaccinated can transmit the COVID-19 virus, thus both are potential carriers of the virus.*
So going back to the question, why are there more restrictive measures for the unvaccinated?
Simply put, being unvaccinated, you are a bigger liability for the government, and/or the organization you work for. If you are unvaccinated, and if you contract the virus, you are going to show more serve COVID-19 symptoms and have a higher risk of fatality.
Furthermore, as established, the vaccinated can transmit the virus to an unvaccinated person, vice versa. In both scenarios, the unvaccinated will have it worse than the vaccinated.
Knowing this, let’s look at it from the perspective of the government. If you have the power to not let the unvaccinated succumb to the virus, and possibly lighten the workload on the healthcare industry, wouldn’t you do so?
Discriminatory, some may call it, but looking at the facts and figures, and judging with some morality, it is definitely the right move, in my opinion, to not let the unvaccinated partake in high-risk activities, for the good of themselves and their communities.
Can you start to see why the government has put in place different rules for the vaccinated and unvaccinated?
It’s the government’s way of ‘looking out for their people’, through differentiating the vaccinated from unvaccinated, especially when we have not achieved herd immunity in our communities.
Shifting the focus to organizations requiring workers to be fully vaccinated before returning to the workplace. Firstly, this was a suggestion from the government, which many companies picked up. The government does not force any organization to require their workers to be fully vaccinated before returning to work (except in some industries**). That said, the companies would need to be logical and think of the possible situations that may occur if (a) they have a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated workers (b) they have all vaccinated workers or © they have all unvaccinated workers in the workplace.
When a worker is suspected to be a COVID-19 case, the SOP for a company (worse case scenario) is to shut for 14 days for deep cleaning, and require all workers that have been in contact to go for testing. The workers may return to the workplace if they have a negative test, and/or have served their 14-day SHN with no symptoms showing. This affects the company’s decision when choosing whether to allow the unvaccinated to come back to the workplace.
During the 14 days, the company loses revenue, because they will be understaffed etc. As stated, there is a higher risk for the unvaccinated to succumb to the virus (NOT CONTRACT), as compared to the vaccinated.
If the company chooses to allow workers who are unvaccinated to return to the workplace, it be riskier for the company because when the unvaccinated contract the virus, they have greater implications, which means they would not be working for a longer period of time. Using the same situation, applied to a vaccinated worker, would require less time before the worker recovers and returns to the workplace. Lesser available workers working at the workplace = Lesser productivity in the company = Lesser revenue for the company.
Secondly, at the workplace, there might be biasness against the unvaccinated workers from their vaccinated colleagues. Although I say I do not hold judgement against those who are unvaccinated, I cannot say the same for others. And like all other issues, personal preference, in this case who to work with in the same team etc, boils down to a grey area which is very debatable.
One concern from vaccinated colleagues, which I find valid, would be that they don’t want to be the cause of another person’s misery.
As stated, both vaccinated and unvaccinated can transmit the virus. The vaccinated, in this case, may transmit the virus to the unvaccinated when working together, and because the colleague is unvaccinated, the symptoms are more severe and may even be fatal. That is the risk that some do not want to take.
Can you start to see why companies prefer only workers who are vaccinated to go back to the workplace?
To solve the issues mentioned, the company will just heed the government’s advice. Also, this helps the companies to maintain the maximum number of workers working (at the workplace) at any one time, which is in the company’s best interest.
Vaccination (in SG) is not something new. We are vaccinated against other diseases at birth. But what’s different now, is that the vaccines for COVID-19 are new, and still in clinical trials, which may cause MPC(perceived)*** to be greater than MPC(actual)****. That is why the government is ramping up efforts to educate the public (especially those wary of the vaccine).
A key takeaway from this is that you are not a sole being living in this country. You are part of a larger organisation, thus you are not only responsible for yourself. There are some things you have to give up, like the freedom to dine in, for the greater good of society.
As we transition to COVID-19 becoming endemic, we need to be more gracious and open to opinions from others. Stop simply rejecting another viewpoint just because you don’t agree with it. Find out more, then come to a conclusion why you disagree or agree. That’s the only way to move forward as a society.
footnote:
*research ongoing to see whether vaccinated has a lower transmission rate than unvaccinated
**in these vulnerable industries, workers will undergo the “vaccinate or regular test” regime
***marginal private costs (perceived) defined by those wary of the vaccine
****marginal private costs (actual) defined by the government
