In Ireland 92% of adults are vaccinated and 75% of the population overall. The "low" vaccination rate among children has more to do with the delays in approving the vaccines than any kind of resistance. I have been told this is among the best vaccination rates in Europe.

Despite this the government has just pushed back the return to normality yet again. They drafted a "vaccinate our way out" plan that would almost certainly fail because it allegedly requires some fraction of the populace in excess of 92% to comply. When it failed, they accused that fraction of spoiling their plans. And then, rather than accepting their failure and moving on, they began punishing the entire populace for it for an indeterminate amount of time.

Perhaps in other countries with higher rates of vaccine hesitancy the story is different. But in my mind, the responsibility here lies with those who made getting our lives back contingent on an outcome that was never realistically going to occur.

In much of red America folks are already living freely like before. Most of the major impacts like job walk-outs and shortages are directly resulting from more heavy-handed covid measures imposed in other states or by the federal government.

Interesting take, can you expand on what you mean by that?

Because unvaccinated people cause hospitals to be overcrowded.

Does this also extend to the willfully obese? Smokers? Chronic drug abusers, alcoholics, etc? It is my impression these are compounding factors listed as comorbidities to Covid, however we don't seem to focus on these segments of the population much, perhaps because of our own personal biases as most humans in this age fall into one or more of those categories.

What do comorbidity have to do with this? It's a total strawman in the context of the situation, considering that those people can also get vaccinated and hopefully not waste their time and our doctor's time by occupying a hospital bed.

Comorbidity has quite a lot do with cause of hospitalization. One study [1] observed that 94.9% of people hospitalized for severe COVID-19 had at least one underlying medical condition.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2021/21_0123.htm

The risks from corona for vaccinated people are negligible. Without unvaccinated people a the measures that are still in effect could be removed.

If the risks from corona for vaccinated people are negligible then stop the lockdowns. If you are vaccinated there's no risk to you right?

"The sooner we give up our freedoms, the sooner we get them back!"

"It's for you safety"

No worries, we will not vaccinate you against your will. There will be no mandate. A negative rapid antigen test result is deemed equivalent to a proof of vaccination.

* Of course, the test must be carried out by a service provider pursuant to section 123 (4) of the "Ordinance on SARS-CoV-2 Testing". Due to a decreasing need in testing, there will be of course less and less service providers in your area.

* Of course, the test result must pertain to a test taken no earlier than 24 hours. Please arrange enough time (the result is usually available within 15 to 60 minutes) before or after work to obtain your test result (business hours: 8am - 5:30pm).

* Of course, since free vaccinations are now available to all, it is no longer acceptable for taxpayers to bear the costs of the tests on a permanent basis. An antigen test costs about 15 to 30 dollars on average. A decreasing need in testing might of course lead to higher costs in the future.

It is your choice.

No one will come for you. They will simply cut you off - won't provide healthcare, won't allow you into the stores to buy food, force your employer to fire you so you have no income. But it's not force - you can choose. Same way like people actually have all the freedoms in North Korea - they can be critical of supreme leader if they want to they just need to choose to do it.

And then you’ll spend the rest of your life in some dank cell. Worth it?