I think this article has got it all wrong. A recent poll ( probably since this was written) of unvaccinated people indicated that 80 percent of them would absolutely not get a vaccine. It is symptomatic of our hyper-polarized society. Once people take a position, it’s like it becomes a part of their identity, and they will hang onto it for dear life.

And that is at the core of our failing society. People’s sense of self and self worth is so fragile and damaged that they rely on external validators, often political or social points of view. They can’t let go of these, because then they’ll be left with nothing. This is true across political and social spectrums. It’s what media influencers prey on, quite successfully.