Yet another instance of how the supply vs. demand situation has pitted groups against each other. (See the recent thread about Oregon putting teachers ahead of senior citizens.)To be clear, New Jersey didn’t put smokers ahead of teachers and transportation workers because smokers are more likely to spread the virus. That may or may not be true and is probably dependent on a variety of factors, such as occupation and living situation. Smokers were put ahead of others because smokers are at higher risk for COVID complications, according to the state…
Smoking is one of 10 conditions that get priority in Jersey. Another one is obesity, yet there’s little or no outcry against obese people (nor should there be), perhaps because obesity, unlike smoking, doesn’t endanger the lives of those around obese people and so didn’t engender as much resentment pre-COVID.
The state says smokers comprise the largest group of those 10 conditions. There are a whopping 2 million smokers in NJ, or almost 1/4 of the state population. Vaccinating them sooner would have a big impact, yet it also means, given the shortages, that others, including those with compromised immune systems, may well have to wait much longer than otherwise to get vaccinated.
None of this would matter if there were adequate supplies of the vaccine. Since there isn’t and people are desperate, it’s unfortunately no surprise that people are turning on each other like this.