What the saga of the United States vs. Novak Djokovic, Vaccine Refusenik, boils down to is nothing but old-fashioned spite. Spite for the world’s No. 1 tennis player not to bend the knee to the Jab Tyrants. Spite for the Florida governor who prominently rejected vaccine passports. And spite for a state that grows increasingly red by the day.
Once more, Djokovic has been banned from entering the U.S. to compete in a tournament — this one the venerable, star-studded (on the courts and in the stands) Miami Open, where he is a six-time champion — over his rejection of the various COVID-19 vaccines.
Djokovic had sought a special exemption from the federal requirement for international visitors to be vaccinated to compete at two of the Association of Tennis Professionals’ most glamorous events, the ongoing Indian Wells Masters in the Southern California desert, followed by the ATP stop in Miami.
Remember, the restrictions from which Djokovic sought relief are set to expire in early May. President Biden himself announced in January the COVID emergency was over. (Why it takes 16 weeks to lift sanctions when the crisis is over is understandable only to someone who has spent nearly 50 years in Washington.) Maintaining the ban on someone under such constant scrutiny is foolishness for the sake of it … which is a specialty of this particular White House.
The kerfuffle grew in stature when Gov. Ron DeSantis, the presumed Republican presidential contender, having declared the denial “unfair, unscientific and unacceptable,” mused he must might “run a boat from the Bahamas” to fetch the world No. 1. After all, DeSantis already is famous for relocating foreign visitors to America’s vacation paradises.
“I would do that a hundred percent,” DeSantis said with gleaming eyes during a press briefing in Tampa Wednesday. “I think [Djokovic’s] people are looking at it, and I’m not sure that’s the way they want to come into the country, which I understand. I think it’d be a great moment, but you know, nevertheless.”
Ultimately, Djokovic declined the invitation, which is a shame. By then, the White House, through press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, was dug in with a duck-and-cover, pass-the-buck response.
“So, on a question regarding the vaccination requirement, I would refer you to the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). They’re the ones who deal with that. It’s still in place, and we expect everyone to abide by our country’s rule, whether as a participant or a spectator.”
But, why? Why does the vaccine requirement remain in place? It would be one thing if the jab prevented the spread of COVID. But that, evidently, is not among any of the various cocktails’ blessings.
What the breakthrough mRNA concoctions do appreciably well is to trigger an immune-like response in the body in the presence of COVID. While debates rage over the longterm effects of mRNA injections, medical professionals continue to support vaccinations as a key to mitigating the worst effects of the virus.
What the vaccines fail to do, however, is completely eliminate transmission of the virus. That seems like a fairly significant chink in defense of the no-admission-without-vaccination policy.
At this point, President Biden is simply being stubborn. Guess what! He’s 80! In his defense, if you can’t be stubborn at 80, why are you hanging around? The trouble is, everyone else in his administration behaves as if they shuffle off to some daily coffee klatch at McDonald’s, too.
Stubborn is as stubborn does, so KJP fobs us off to Tony Fauci’s minions at the CDC, who are interested in showing no signs of having been even the slightest bit wrong about their entire you-will-submit campaign.
Writing as someone who was double-vaccinated and boosted, and who nonetheless succumbed to a bout of COVID, I have no reason to suspect my remarkably mild symptoms were not a direct result of my got-the-jabs status. Thanks, science!
But this is not a recommendation, and it certainly isn’t a demand. It’s a maybe-you-should-check-it-out suggestion, if you haven’t already. I also endorse lots of fresh oranges, occasional broccoli, a fair amount of exercise, and mornings lazing in the sun.
In this layperson’s opinion, that’s also where the CDC ought to come down, in light of studies that indicate we, the vaccinated, still can transmit the disease. That’s a snag. If an unvaccinated tennis player from Serbia was a far higher risk of becoming Typhoid Mary to Miami’s glitterati than if he were properly jabbed, officials would have a brilliant, unassailable argument.
Followers of the science know better. And so the White House, using the CDC for cover, resorts to refuge of the outflanked and exasperated parent: Djokovic is blocked because I said so. Lame.
Too bad tennis’ biggest star didn’t want to come across on the S.S. DeSantis. The photo op at the pier would have been epic. And, come to think of it, brilliantly spiteful.
