Emma Hiscocks, MD
Vice President
Summer Wind
Summer is rolling along at this point, and what a summer of change it has been. Just under two months ago, California was opening up, kids were out of school, and the dark days of the winter surge were behind us. And those months burst with sweetness—reuniting with family and friends, kids enjoying summer activities together, and the long-awaited trips taken! Now, of course, it feels like we have returned to earlier days of the pandemic. We know what to do, how to mitigate, but it is just harder. The marathon continues.
It is difficult to live through hospitals and ICUs over capacity again. Thoughts surface—why don’t more people get vaccinated? This virus, and subsequently its vaccine, became politicized early on which has been almost impossible to reverse. Family physicians are familiar with this as anti-vaccination sentiment is frequently seen when recommending routine pediatric, adult, and influenza immunizations. There are also people who have not received a COVID-19 vaccination because of difficulty obtaining one, not due to supply at this point, but rather due to a perception they may be charged for the vaccine or an inability to get time off work or have time otherwise to get the vaccination. This is why family physician involvement in giving vaccines on the community level is important! Family physicians can reach their patients where they are and are trusted by their patients. It is interesting to watch vaccine mandates evolve—from private companies to local departments of public health to state government—and to see where it leads.
Summer winds down as children return to school over the next few weeks. As this is now primarily a pandemic of the unvaccinated, it feels strange to send kids under 12 into indoor classrooms without the protection of vaccination. Yet we know the learning and social aspects of in-person school are highly important. Thankfully, we also know that masking and distancing can still decrease risk when practiced. Hope is again on the horizon for authorization of COVID-19 vaccination for younger children.
Perhaps expanded social circles became a little smaller or trips were cancelled this summer, but we know that the summer wind can be a fickle friend. Seasons bring change, and the seasons of this pandemic are no different. But we can maintain our resilience and our hope.
