COVID-19: Vaccine Obligation, Vaccine Diplomacy or Vaccine Patriotism!
- Cambodianess
- April 19, 2021 5:37 AM
Speaking of vaccination, Samnang and Sothie have already had their second dose. For them, vaccination is a means to save a life. So, there is nothing else to be concerned about. Today, the two men discuss the progress in which vaccination has transformed itself from a voluntary act to a duty, diplomacy, or even patriotism. What is the reason behind this?
Samnang: Hey, Sothie! Before, some people were so scared of being vaccinated. Now, those people are competing for ones. Why does it turn to be like that?
Sothie: Before, some people did not fully realize it. Now, their understanding has improved, and the fear of infection has skyrocketed. The virus does not care about human life or the life of businesses. If you are not vaccinated, you are opening a door for the virus to attack you whenever they like.
Samnang: Some people say that do not discriminate against those who have not vaccinated.
Sothie: To be honest, there is no discrimination toward those who have decided not to get vaccinated or have not gotten vaccinated. We may fear since those who are not fully vaccinated might have a greater chance of being infected than those who have received jabs. Therefore, the vaccinated people should not underestimate or discriminate against those who do not get the vaccine. We do not want them to get infected easily. We do not discriminate against anyone. We only feel worried and fearful about our life too.
Samnang: Well, how about we stop worrying about those who have not gotten the vaccine?
Sothie: Worriedness is also a right, you know. They feel worried because they care about their own life. Why do you want people to be afraid of those who are vaccinated?
Samnang: However, some people still express that getting vaccinated should be a voluntary act. Yet, some others claim that it should be compulsory. Now what?
Sothie: I cannot know everything, Samnang! I only know some parts of the whole story. At first, getting vaccinated was a voluntary act in many countries around the world. Later on, this voluntary act has turned mandatory, especially within the sports sector and many other businesses. It is due to many countries believe that vaccination is another crucial way to end the pandemic in addition to wearing a mask and practicing social distancing. Proper vaccination might help to stabilize the life of the society and the life of the economy. By seeing this, the government of Cambodia has encouraged government officials to get vaccinated. As for now, vaccination is compulsory for government officials.
Samnang: How about the general public?
Sothie: For the general public, vaccination is still considered voluntary. Even though it is not compulsory for them, they should take into consideration that without vaccination, the chance of getting the infection is higher. Plus, people without vaccination will be feared by those who are already vaccinated when returning to their offices.
Samnang: Yet, what is vaccine diplomacy or vaccine patriotism?
Sothie: Well, vaccine diplomacy is a political strategy. It takes place when a country uses a certain type of vaccine as a means to strengthen relations with other countries. And one of the examples is China. It has sold and given its vaccine for free to some countries. On the other hand, vaccine patriotism can be seen in some countries like the US and other major countries. These countries make and use their own vaccine. They may sell their vaccine to other countries, but they do not distribute their vaccine to other nations in a sense of humanitarianism.
Samnang: In the future, will there be a vaccine for sports or a vaccine for businesses?
Sothie: I think there will be. Generally in the future, athletes who do not get vaccinated will not be allowed to enter their games if they still think and speak “childishly” like that (No vaccine, no play).
