Do you remember a decade ago when FOMO was fashionable? It was all over the place; everyone used it. We could all use a strong dose of fear to avoid being vaccinated in 2021.
Although it may sound corny, FOMO is still a powerful tool that the U.S. should take advantage of to win more wars.
The Canadian government announced on Friday that it will require vaccination against COVID for all commercial travelers. This includes all travelers traveling between provinces and passengers on cruise ships. France, another country with high vaccine availability will also require vaccinations for cross-country flights by train, bus, and plane.
The U.S. government and airlines have not mandated vaccinations for air travel. I would like them to do so. Although there are some obstacles, such as FDA technicalities and blowback from customers, it is possible to do this.
One reason to make it mandatory to fly is the rash of viral videos showing anti-makers being kicked off planes. Many flight attendants spend their time begging passengers to wear masks. They run the risk of being attacked by anti-mask passengers. This is their problem. It is obvious that the staunch anti-vax, anti-mask Venn diagram is a circle. Mandating vaccines would be a huge time saver for many hardworking airline employees. If they were unable to get on the plane without the vaccine, anti-maskers will be less likely to hold up flights. Even vaccinated passengers might still need to wear masks in the future. Public health experts say it is not one or the other. To combat COVID, we must use every tool at our disposal.
Passenger vaccination and mask wear are strongly recommended due to the highly transmissible Delta version. The days of empty seats in the middle have long gone. Even if you are fully vaccinated, it is possible for someone close to you to transmit COVID by sneezing or coughing. Although being vaccinated is still a good way to prevent death or hospitalization, rare breakthrough cases have shown that some people who are vaccinated can contract the disease and transmit it to others.
As air travel in the United States continues to creep towards pre-pandemic levels, some airlines like United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Frontier Airlines require employees to get vaccinated. FOMO, which is used to make life more fun and less stressful for those who are not vaccinated, has become a powerful tool. With venues, travel and restaurants all slipping toward normal capacity, it may prove more effective than simply preaching (correctly!) that vaccines save lives. It becomes increasingly difficult to skip a shot if you are required to get vaccinated in order to travel indoors, fly, go to college, or to go to school (or any other place where vaccines become available to more children).
It is not clear that the jab will protect you from serious COVID consequences. This requires people to visualize their loved ones and themselves suffering. It is not something that many people can or will do. However, it is not possible to miss a trip with your friends. It is real. It creates FOMO and suckers. It's like withholding dessert for a child who refuses to eat their vegetables. This strategy works well with children for one simple reason. Many people who did their own research, e.g. I imagine many people who "did their own research" on Facebook would forget to do the same thing the second they had to miss a bachelor party in Nashville due to the requirement for a vaccine.
Here are some important caveats. The U.S., or the government, is in an unusual position. Airlines could mandate vaccinations for air travel, particularly once vaccines go beyond emergency authorization and receive full FDA approval. (That's what some airline executives claim is holding them back). Globally, there are billions of people who would love to be vaccinated, but they don't have the means. Many countries have very limited supplies, so the U.S. is asking people to get their vax. Because many international travelers have not had the opportunity to get vaccinated, they won't likely be held to the same standards as U.S. citizens. Mashable offers a way to support the global vaccine effort.
The FDA will approve vaccines for travel as soon as September. The U.S. could follow a similar timeline to Canada, which expects the mandate to be in place by the fall according its regulations.
This timeline leaves plenty of room for the vaccine push. More Americans are now motivated to have the COVID jab after the Delta variant sparked fears. After weeks of low vaccination rates, the U.S. has seen a significant increase in vaccine coverage. Public health officials continue to work with communities with low vaccination rates to reach them. People are not getting vaccinated due to misinformation. Unvaccinated individuals are more likely to be poorer or to be suspicious of medical racism. They might not have the childcare or the ability take time off to get the shot or manage the side effects. These people need our support.
Some evidence has already shown that vax mandates are effective. CNBC's article quotes people who were vaccinated to allow them to travel to restricted areas. According to a Time/Harris poll, sixty percent of people got vaccinated to "visit family or friends but not being in a position to do so without a vaccine." This was based on a survey of approximately 1000 adults that Time/Harris conducted in March. Fivety-two percent stated that they were motivated by the desire to travel, but are unable to do so without a vaccine. It is clear that travel is a key motivator for people to get vaxxed. Imagine what it would be like to fly anywhere in America. No flying to Disney. No flying to the Super Bowl. No flying through the skies to bring Christmas cheer to your family.
A strong majority of Americans also want to see a mandate for air travel. According to a Harris poll, 64 percent of Americans want a vaccination passport in order to fly.
It is not a right to travel around the country. It is a privilege. It's a privilege to be able to fly in a tiny can. Aside from that, I would like to see non-essential locations require vaccination. We'd see skyrocketing vaccination rates if the NFL, major gym brands, and college football conferences required vaccination.
At the moment, I hope we can begin with air travel. FOMO is a real thing. Let's use it.
