Mr. Wyatt views hospital visits as one of his most important obligations as a pastor, and recalls feeling helpless as he gathered with the congregants family in the parking lot of the hospital, barred from entry by pandemic precautions.
But Mr. Wyatt, 38, didnt tell many people about his decision afterward to enroll in the trial in Hattiesburg, about an hours drive west of his small town. You hear, This vaccine is the mark of the beast, dont get this, its Bill Gatess population control, youll get the microchips in you, he said. A lot of my folks probably wont get it.
Now that the vaccine is on its way, Mr. Wyatt is preparing to speak publicly about his participation in the trial, hoping to ease his communitys concerns. Its something I can do, he said.
Aesha Mahdi, 42, who lives in Gwinnett County, Ga., also knows how the virus can upend lives. She got infected in April and identifies herself as a Covid long-hauler, still experiencing symptoms such as a racing heartbeat and shortness of breath going upstairs. Her rheumatoid arthritis has become worse, and sometimes she has trouble walking.
Ms. Mahdi, who is eager to take the vaccine, now works in contact tracing, helping to stop the viruss spread. She said she was alarmed at how family members have fallen victim to misinformation campaigns that vaccinations are harmful, especially on Facebook and YouTube. Theyre kind of following a disinformation or misinformation train that is leading them down a whole conspiracy theory, she said.
For others, the vaccines arrival creates moral quandaries. Pat McKeage, 85, of Grand Rapids, Mich., said she understood why elderly people are expected to get the vaccine before others, citing risk factors and how I.C.U. units around the country are near or above capacity. Still, Ms. McKeage, a published poet, said it struck her as obscene that she could get the vaccine before her long-term caregiver, who is 30.read more
The Vaccines Are Coming. A Divided and Distrustful America Awaits.
