It was the height of Covid. We were living in Nova Scotia, but had to get home for the birth of our second grandchild. Even with he border closed it was doable…as long as you had a negative Covid test taken within 24 hours of your departure.
We had made our way to Halifax the day before to have our test, and then made the return trip tot he airport the day of our departure. We had our phones out, waiting for the notice that we were safe to travel. We weren’t the only ones! All around us were people standing in line, staring at their phones! We got to the desk, only to discover that our notice had not arrived! We were not allowed to board—even though the notice came before the flight left. We had to buy new tickets for a much later flight! It was the cot of making sure a disease wasn’t spread!
I thought about that yesterday when the news came that Florida will no longer mandate vaccinations—for anything! Not Covid, nor smallpox nor measles, nor chickenpox nor polio! After all, why should the government tell you what you should put in your body?
If it were just your body, then fine! Don’t take the vaccination! Get the disease, suffer the consequences!
But diseases never stay with just one person! Talk to the parent of any child in preschool! Colds spread! Polio spreads! Measles spread! Your disease doesn’t stay yours! Whether you like it or not, you share!
So what about the rest of us?
I have a suggestion! Why not require a negative test to travel for anyone leaving Florida! No matter how—by road, by air, by boat. You have to show a negative test for Covid, for measles, for chickenpox, for polio before being allowed to leave the state! It has to be within 24 hours of travel.
Sure, it will be a burden! Think about the lines on I-95 when the health certificates must be shown. Yes, there will be a cost to the tourism industry. Maybe Disney World can add another venue to their park—Immunization World!
A crazy idea? Sure, but not as crazy as allowing Florida to re-introduce diseases to the rest of the world!
