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Southwest Airlines Community

Re: Passenger Safety

jksobonya
Aviator A

@jcdalglish wrote:

What possible reason could Southwest Airlines have for NOT requiring their employees to be vaccinated? Do they have a death wish? 


lol ... what a comment.

 

If you're vaccinated and wearing a mask, what are you afraid of?

 

I don't need Southwest to mandate vaccines in order to fly with them. I've been flying for Southwest for well over a decade - heck, I flew at the "height" of the pandemic in August, October, and December 2020, when the very idea of a vaccine wasn't taken very seriously. (Remember, many thought it would take "years" to develop one.)  By the way, I've never gotten COVID to this day, and I've flown many other times - just flew last weekend, in fact. 

 

Is this really something that people care a lot about? Are people that afraid to be around someone who hasn't gotten a shot? I'm not. Never have been. Someone's medical history and how they chose to take care of themselves (or not take care of themselves) is none of my business. I can only take care of me, myself and I. 

 

It's pretty remarkable how much our thinking has changed in less than 2 years. 

 

--Jessica

Re: Passenger Safety

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@jksobonya wrote:

@jcdalglish wrote:

What possible reason could Southwest Airlines have for NOT requiring their employees to be vaccinated? Do they have a death wish? 


lol ... what a comment.

 

If you're vaccinated and wearing a mask, what are you afraid of?

 

I don't need Southwest to mandate vaccines in order to fly with them. I've been flying for Southwest for well over a decade - heck, I flew at the "height" of the pandemic in August, October, and December 2020, when the very idea of a vaccine wasn't taken very seriously. (Remember, many thought it would take "years" to develop one.)  By the way, I've never gotten COVID to this day, and I've flown many other times - just flew last weekend, in fact. 

 

Is this really something that people care a lot about? Are people that afraid to be around someone who hasn't gotten a shot? I'm not. Never have been. Someone's medical history and how they chose to take care of themselves (or not take care of themselves) is none of my business. I can only take care of me, myself and I. 

 

It's pretty remarkable how much our thinking has changed in less than 2 years. 

 

--Jessica


 

I'll speak for myself.

 

I'm avoiding exposure risk from the unvaccinated (masking up as best I can, not traveling to places with high infection/low vaccination rates, avoiding crowds indoors, reducing air travel in general) for multiple reasons.

 

Breakthrough infections with delta do happen, and I do not want to get covid. While I understand that since I'm vaccinated the current risk is low, and I'd likely tolerate the disease relatively well (compared to the unvaccinated) I still want to avoid the downtime involved, and the possibility of having lingering symptoms. I have a friend who contracted covid pre-vaccine, suffered a relatively minor course of infection (was not hospitalized) and who still has neurological symptoms to this day. (Doctors are calling this "long covid," and currently don't really know how to handle it.)

 

I also don't want to chance spreading covid. Current studies suggest that those with delta -- even the vaccinated -- can carry a high viral load and spread the virus even when asymptomatic. Primarily to protect my brother-in-law, who is undergoing chemo and is currently imuno compromised, but also to protect the general public. I see it as being a responsible adult who understands the social contract. If everyone did, rather than only caring about "me, myself and I," I suspect we wouldn't be in this place to begin with.

 

I have a friend in Florida who was just told their hip replacement surgery is indefinitely postponed due to the hospital being overwhelmed with covid patients. Their ICU is full, so they're converting other floors of the hospital into covid wards.

 

As covid continues to spread it will continue to mutate. It's possible that we'll see a variant that's resistant to current vaccines. That's why it's vitally important that we use all the tools we have available to reduce the spread, and quickly. Vaccination is the absolute best tool we have. The more people that are vaccinated, the better. So I support any company who requires their employees be vaccinated (with medical exceptions of course).

 

It is remarkable how our thinking has changed. I shudder to think about what would have happened if the methods used today to widely spread disinformation were available back when the polio vaccine was released.

 

Vaccine mandates are not new. They've been around in the US for a very long time. All states in the US currently mandate vaccines for schoolchildren against diphtheria, measles, mumps, pertussis, poliomyelitis, rubella, tetanus, meningitis, chickenpox, and whooping cough. Some states include additional vaccines/diseases. Yet somehow, now, a vaccine against a global pandemic that has killed at least 4,333,848 people (635,153 in the US alone) has been turned into a political issue and is being treated like it's a bad thing.

 

I'd say it's baffling, but it's increasingly obvious that this is perpetuated by those who benefit off of manipulating the ignorant for political and monetary gain.

 

 

 

 

 

Re: Passenger Safety

RitiJ
Explorer C

I'm avoiding crowded places, not traveling to the places with high infection for multiple reasons.

But requiring masked flight attendants to be vaccinated, especially when surrounded by many more passengers of unknown vaccination status is good. Vaccination has not been proven effective at reducing transmission  that's not true. But vaccination lowers community transmission.More vaccines means less transmission.

 

 

Re: Passenger Safety

gsking
Aviator C

Your concern is unwarranted. 

 

Masking on airplanes has been proven effective. 

 

Vaccination has NOT been proven effective at reducing transmission. 

 

Therefore,  requiring masked flight attendants to be vaccinated,  especially when surrounded by many more passengers of unknown vaccination status makes absolutely no sense. 

 

Unless of course you're driven by illogical levels of fear not supported by statistics.   Which,  if so,  you shouldn't be flying... and this doesn't apply to you. 

 

 

Re: Passenger Safety

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@gsking wrote:

Your concern is unwarranted. 

 

Masking on airplanes has been proven effective. 

 

Vaccination has NOT been proven effective at reducing transmission. 

 

Therefore,  requiring masked flight attendants to be vaccinated,  especially when surrounded by many more passengers of unknown vaccination status makes absolutely no sense. 

 

Unless of course you're driven by illogical levels of fear not supported by statistics.   Which,  if so,  you shouldn't be flying... and this doesn't apply to you. 

 

 


 

Um... what? LOL.

 

Vaccination doesn't reduce transmission?! Seriously? I mean, that's so completely wrong as to be laughable. Did you actually mean to type something different?

 

Mounting evidence suggests COVID vaccines do reduce transmission.

 

Masking on planes was studied prior to the development of the much more highly contagious delta variant, making the results of that study significantly less valid.

 

Greater vaccination rates help everyone. Mandates increase vaccination rates.

 

Stop making perfect the enemy of good.

 

 

Re: Passenger Safety

MNhappy
Explorer A

We got caught travelling June 14th and 15th when Southwest grounded planes systemwide. Miserable experience. 

 

I am in favor of Southwest not requiring vaccinated employees. Maybe some of the rejected United employees can come work for Southwest and I'll have better odds of my next flight not having delays due to staffing.

Re: Passenger Safety

gsking
Aviator C

Here you go...

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/565831-fauci-amount-of-virus-in-breakthrough-delta-ca...

 

So yeah,  you get the vaccine,  you can still get a breakthrough case,  and still transmit the virus. 

 

Note that your link has words like "mounting' and "suggests".  So that's not proof by any stretch.   You best be careful when you use words like "completely wrong" and laugh before you understand the extent of your hyperbole.   Oops... not so complete,  is it? 

 

Do we agree vaccination is preferred?   Yes.    Except I'm not the one seeking perfection.   It's these fearmongers DEMANDING 100% vaccination of employees or else they'll die in the sky.   

 

I'm just saying it's not my call to force someone else to get vaccinated... and there's nothing particularly unique about flight crew that demands they be singled out for forced vaccination.   They've managed so far.   To claim it's impacting "passenger safety" is a stretch not supported by the facts. 

 

I get that your personal opinion is to error far on the side of caution.   You'll wear a mask the rest of your life,  probably.   But there's many of us not so worried.   I've had Covid.   Why should I be forced to get vaccinated to work on a plane? Just because "every bit helps"?  Then I suggest we reduce the speed limit back to 55 mph... because the same logic applies.   Maybe 45mph whilst we're at it. 

Re: Passenger Safety

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@gsking wrote:

Here you go...

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/565831-fauci-amount-of-virus-in-breakthrough-delta-ca...

 

So yeah,  you get the vaccine,  you can still get a breakthrough case,  and still transmit the virus. 

 

Note that your link has words like "mounting' and "suggests".  So that's not proof by any stretch.   You best be careful when you use words like "completely wrong" and laugh before you understand the extent of your hyperbole.   Oops... not so complete,  is it? 

 

Do we agree vaccination is preferred?   Yes.    Except I'm not the one seeking perfection.   It's these fearmongers DEMANDING 100% vaccination of employees or else they'll die in the sky.   

 

I'm just saying it's not my call to force someone else to get vaccinated... and there's nothing particularly unique about flight crew that demands they be singled out for forced vaccination.   They've managed so far.   To claim it's impacting "passenger safety" is a stretch not supported by the facts. 

 

I get that your personal opinion is to error far on the side of caution.   You'll wear a mask the rest of your life,  probably.   But there's many of us not so worried.   I've had Covid.   Why should I be forced to get vaccinated to work on a plane? Just because "every bit helps"?  Then I suggest we reduce the speed limit back to 55 mph... because the same logic applies.   Maybe 45mph whilst we're at it. 


 

Did you read the link I posted?

 

Those with breakthrough cases can transmit the virus, even when asymptomatic (as I mentioned earlier). That said, vaccines reduce transmission in the aggregate, as vaccination decreases your chance of getting the virus. The more vaccinated, the better. 

 

Vaccination lowers community transmission. This isn't even in question.

 

Not fear mongering. Not seeking 100%. Not demanding anything.

 

 

 

 

Re: Passenger Safety

gsking
Aviator C

I agree with what you're saying.. more vaccines means less transmission.   But the demand for ALL flight attendants to be vaccinated is indeed a 100% demand.   Which is what the OP wants.   

 

But that demand doesn't provide the 100% protection he or she thinks it will.   So it's just another very slight improvement in overall safety,  with no real impact on personal safety since concerned people are already vaccinated. 

 

So we have to draw the line in the sand somewhere at where we want to impose strict regulations.   I don't see the rationale for making flight attendants unique... especially since they're around MASKED people in a ventilated environment. 

 

If they're forced to be vaccinated, why not force everyone to be vaccinated to fly?   And then why not everyone period?

 

Slippery slopes and all that. 

 

 

Re: Passenger Safety

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@gsking wrote:

 

...

 

So we have to draw the line in the sand somewhere at where we want to impose strict regulations.   I don't see the rationale for making flight attendants unique... especially since they're around MASKED people in a ventilated environment. 

 

If they're forced to be vaccinated, why not force everyone to be vaccinated to fly?   And then why not everyone period?

...


I'm not personally worried about getting infected from the FA or pilots (or mechanics), it is the fellow passengers. 

 

I'm not sure about a mandate, but I am baffled why more people wouldn't want to get it on their own and I think more could be done in that regard.

 

 

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.