I'm already seeing "but why isn't THIS group in phase 1" about the Massachusetts vaccine plan, amd while y'all are tiresome and I was not on the committee, let me explain a few things.

First off, if you haven't looked at the actual presentation, go do so: https://twitter.com/WBUR/status/1336717874061332480?s=19

Please especially note their guiding principles for how to make these decisions.

Now then.

Fact 1: we have neither the doses nor the staff to vaccinate everyone at once.

Fact 2: some of us have way more opportunity to stay home and out of harm's way than others.

Now go look at the phases.

Phase 1 is people who have approximately zero options to stay out of harm's way. Okay? That does include prisoners. They can't just go STAY THEIR ASSES AT HOME, now can they? (Many of them should be released, but that's another thread.)

Phase 1 also includes people working in hospitals, including custodial and food services workers, who are extremely vital to keeping the hospital running along with doctors, nurses, and other staff.

Phase 1 includes home health care workers, and people living in group homes and nursing homes.

Again, people who don't have choices.

Phase 2 includes teachers.

This is one I have already seen, "WHY AREN'T TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IN PHASE 1"

Well, because as important as our teachers are (PS PAY THEM AND HIRE MORE), hospitals are more important to keep open than schools.

And, a number of schools in the Commonwealth are fully remote right now. So teachers have not a ton of choices, but more than the ppl in Phase 1.

Same with otherwise-healthy folks over 65 and living at home being in Phase 2. They don't necessarily have A LOT of choices, but more than someone living in a nursing home.

(Ps, are you at lower risk than your elderly neighbors? Go offer to do their shopping for them.)

Okay? No plan is perfect, but the people with the least choices to stay out of harm's way are in Phase 1.

The people with some options but not many are in Phase 3.

The people with the MOST options, which is MOST OF US, are in Phase 3.

Which means we all still need to do our part for the people who have less options than us.

Stay home. Mask up when outside your home. Keep your distance. The more you can avoid contact/sharing space with others, the more opportunities you deny this deadly virus to harm people.

Okay? This virus wants us to socialize in person, to skip the masks, to keep going out and eating in restaurants and shopping every day.

Fuck this virus! Fuck it in its ear. Cut it off at the knees. Do. Your. Part.

It's hard and it sucks. We can do it.