VACCINES have long been scientifically proven to enhance the physical and mental well-being of people across the world. They teach the body to create antibodies, and are the most effective means of preventing infectious diseases. No less important is the fact that they are safe, having undergone rigorous safety testing before being introduced. They are also constantly monitored for side effects, after being introduced for public use. Despite all the obvious benefits and safeguards, there is still a fair measure of vaccine hesitancy among a significant segment of the population. In an effort to get people vaccinated in the United States of America, President Joe Biden has called on states to offer a $US100 for the newly-vaccinated, all in an effort to encourage people to take the vaccines. The United States still has a significant number of its population to be vaccinated, with less than half of its population being fully vaccinated.

Not all countries are as well endowed, financially, as the United States to provide cash incentives to its citizens to take the COVID-19 vaccines, even though there are other forms of encouragement provided from time to time. In Guyana, for example, fans desirous of watching the upcoming T20 cricket match between the West Indies and Pakistan at the Providence Stadium must be fully vaccinated as a pre-condition to gaining entry into the stadium, which, according to media reports, will only be allowed to accommodate about 40 per cent of its seating capacity.  The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every facet of life, and sporting activities have not been spared.  The Olympics Games in Tokyo have been going on for days with empty stadiums, something unprecedented in the history of the games. This must be tough not only on the organisers of the games, but on the players as well. Spectators do add excitement and zest to the games, and provide a form of energy that can be supportive to players, and act as motivators to the respective teams.

The COVID-19 pandemic, without a doubt, has, in some ways, impacted adversely on the Tokyo Games, even though it has to be said that the spirit of the game still remains high. Isolation and absence of family support have taken a toll on the mental health of athletes. The sudden and unexpected exit of the greatest gymnast of all time, Simone Biles, can partly be linked to that sense of isolation, due to the pandemic. Athletes have been unable to prepare optimally, due to lockdowns and limited access to athletic facilities. This was further compounded by the postponement of the games, which added to concerns about qualification schedules, and the ability to travel internationally without contracting the virus. And to add to their burdens, there are no families and friends to cheer them up from the stands.

The exit of Simone Biles from the games has stunned the sporting world, but it does raise the issue of mental health among athletes in a deeply profound way. There are many who were high in praise for her decision to put her health above any other consideration. According to Biles, she felt that she “had been carrying the weight of the world” on her shoulders. That burden, she said, had been exacerbated by a year of grief, loss and restrictions tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have to protect our minds and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do,” Biles told reporters. These disclosures by a luminary in the world of sports have raised the issue of mental health to a new level among the sporting and medical communities. She has certainly connected with people all over the world, many of whom would have shared similar experiences, and can relate to what she is saying.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga has recently issued a warning that the rate of COVID-19 infections is spreading at an unprecedented rate, and is urging people to stay indoors and watch the games. These new cases, according to the Prime Minister, are fueled by the more infectious Delta variant, with daily cases nationwide reaching over 10,000 for the first time this week. As US President, Joe Biden recently remarked, there is “nothing political about the vaccines”. A recent study showed that 99 per cent of the deaths have been among the unvaccinated, a trend not dissimilar to what is happening in Guyana and the rest of the world.