Your editorial “Maine inmates should not have to wait for vaccine” (Jan. 28) makes the argument that anyone that is at high risk of COVID should have priority in getting a vaccine. Those at risk include health care workers, those in nursing homes, and those who are incarcerated.
There are several groups not mentioned in the editorial. For example, New Jersey gives priority to smokers, because smoking increases complications from COVID. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also includes obesity and pregnancy as predictors of increased risk.
Then there are those who gather in close quarters without masks. One report mentions 2,500 partygoers “attending an illegal New Year rave near the city of Rennes, in northwestern France.”
Engaging in criminal behavior, smoking, and attending a New Year rave are both voluntary and injurious. Does it make sense to give priority to people who act in these ways, priority over those of us who do not engage in such behavior?
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