The biggest job-related cause of death among police officers in the United States is corona, but in this occupational group, resistance to the coronary vaccine is among the strongest, according to CBS News.
Last month alone, more than 20 police officers died due to covid-19 being traced back to their jobs, and according to the news channel, the virus kills far more people in the police than shootings do. Throughout the pandemic, over 500 of them have lost their lives.
Nevertheless, police unions across the country are fighting against public servants being ordered to take the vaccine.
– Sad
In the state of Pennsylvania’s second most populous city Pittsburg, most of the deaths were reported last month. District Police Chief Bob Swartzwelder pointed out that the city has a responsibility to negotiate before ordering the vaccine
“I am for the vaccine, but against the mandate,” Swartzwelder told the news channel earlier this week.
The trend is still proving to be national, and among the police officers who have lost their lives in the last month are 58-year-old Victor Donate in Atlanta, and 31-year-old Kris Hutchison from Texas.
– It’s a sad situation we are in, that something that can protect their lives and the lives of everyone else has created such resistance, says professor at the University of Maryland, Sandra Crouse Quinn.
She has researched how communication affects vaccine acceptance, and points out that the introduction of such mandates works best through education and dialogue. In this way, people with questions can get in touch with healthcare professionals.
– I do not know to what extent it happens, says Quinn.
Corona as the leading cause of death
In Chicago, more than a third of the city’s nearly 13,000 police officers have defied the city council’s call, refusing to report on their vaccination status. Despite the fact that they have been offered the vaccine, the vaccination rate in this group is lower than among most people.
The city reported last month that 64 percent of the police department had complied with the requirement to take the coronary vaccine – however, the remaining 4,543 had not registered at this time that they had been vaccinated.
Chicago is not alone in losing police officers to the pandemic. According to one examination carried out by a fund for police officers who have lost their lives in the United States, the corona was by far the biggest cause of death. The survey shows that the number who lost their lives to the pandemic was greater than all other causes of death combined.
“Do not like to be told what to do”
Many police officers believe they are young and will tolerate the virus.
“Others do not like to be told what to do,” said Chuck Wexler, director of the US National Police Investigation Forum.
According to him, people have become more concerned with individual rights, than with health and safety issues.
– The police get sick and die, and one would think that 100 percent took the vaccine. This is about health and safety, that is what is missing in the discussion, says Wexler, and continues:
– You have to ask yourself if this is really a problem that you want to quit your job for.
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