The only benefit for me to the vaccinations was getting to see my mom and dad before they passed away and being able to be at dad’s funeral in Canada. Life in Georgia was pretty normal after the first month with some exceptions due to local rules. It was only medical buildings that required masking and the schools (which were opened in August 2020 in our county. Once I was vaccinated, I quit masking except at work (trying to teach as a substitute teacher in a public school was not easy with a mask on) and medical buildings. I got to the point that if a business required a mask, they could do without my business. After every trip to Canada where masks were required everywhere and for a long time, it was good to be back in Georgia. From what I know now, I would not mask except when required by medical people and would not get vaccinated. Mom had Covid several times while in long term care where everyone who came in was vaccinated, masked, and tested. Neither parent’s deaths had anything to do with Covid.
There were both carrots and sticks to convince everyone to get vaccinated. Coercion by any other name. The worst for me was the CDC claiming "the unvaccinated are selfishly putting everyone else at risk" when they knew damn well that almost 3/4 of those infected and spreading COVID were fully vaccinated. It was all theatre to avoid admitting the near uselessness of vaccines in protecting against the Delta variant or Omicron.
The only benefit for me to the vaccinations was getting to see my mom and dad before they passed away and being able to be at dad’s funeral in Canada. Life in Georgia was pretty normal after the first month with some exceptions due to local rules. It was only medical buildings that required masking and the schools (which were opened in August 2020 in our county. Once I was vaccinated, I quit masking except at work (trying to teach as a substitute teacher in a public school was not easy with a mask on) and medical buildings. I got to the point that if a business required a mask, they could do without my business. After every trip to Canada where masks were required everywhere and for a long time, it was good to be back in Georgia. From what I know now, I would not mask except when required by medical people and would not get vaccinated. Mom had Covid several times while in long term care where everyone who came in was vaccinated, masked, and tested. Neither parent’s deaths had anything to do with Covid.
There were both carrots and sticks to convince everyone to get vaccinated. Coercion by any other name. The worst for me was the CDC claiming "the unvaccinated are selfishly putting everyone else at risk" when they knew damn well that almost 3/4 of those infected and spreading COVID were fully vaccinated. It was all theatre to avoid admitting the near uselessness of vaccines in protecting against the Delta variant or Omicron.