From that same New York Times morning report, maybe some advice for the fools who refuse vaccinations (my emphasis added):
Covid is the threat on many of our minds. But for most people under 65, the virus may present less risk than a car trip to visit relatives this week. “The vaccination, I think, changes everything,” Dustin Johnston, 40, a photographer in Michigan who plans to gather with family, told The Times.
The situation is more frightening for older people, especially those in their 80s and 90s. For the oldest age groups, Covid presents a real risk even after vaccination. It appears to be more dangerous than a typical flu and much more dangerous than time spent riding in a vehicle, based on C.D.C. data.
As a result, older Americans need protection during a surge. (The same is also true of a small percentage of younger people with specific vulnerabilities to Covid, like organ-transplant recipients.) The most effective way to protect vulnerable people is through vaccination — not only of them but also of others who might infect them.
Children 5 and older, who are now eligible for vaccines, are an example. Covid remains overwhelmingly mild for them. But vaccinated children are less likely to infect other people than unvaccinated children, and a mild Covid case in a child can turn into a deadly case for an elderly grandparent.
End of Times copy.
I repeat, the vaccination is not only for you, it helps protect your neighbor. Of course I am biased. My knee surgery has now been canceled because unvaccinated Covid cases have filled the hospitals to overflowing and they are canceling all surgeries such as mine, and the surgeries of dhundreds of other people facing more dire situations.
My surgery has been scheduled for February 24. That means, although it is not certain, that it is likely that by the end of January I will be in a wheelchair, or unable to move around without that wheelchair or an electric scooter. This will have some impact on my ability to care for beloved spouse who is blind and we are exploring the options for that.
So I make no apologies for my irritation with those refusing vaccinations.