Serbian pro tennis pro Djokovic recently won the Australian Open and he is a leader in Grand Slam wins. The anti-vaxxers have made him their hero of conscience, a man of principle who has sacrificed for the cause. I have a more nuanced perspective.
To explain: here is the context. Before the 2022 Australian Open, Djokovic had been infected by COVID-19 and recovered but decided not to vaccinate later, a prerequisite for entry in many western democracies. Now infection does confer a measure of natural immunity vs the acquired immunity of a vaccine. I've seen data that shows superior immunity for vaccine after infection, but as a libertarian, I dislike paternalism. So, during the kerfuffle, I tweeted in support of Djokovic; he was not currently sick, he posed no risk to others; his stay in the country was limited in duration. In his place, I would have made a different decision about vaccination. Australia had made a decision to process an exception (for past infection) letting him in the country for the tournament, but later denied his visa after public protests of double standards and he had to leave, not allowed to play in the tournament where he was a favorite to win.
For similar reasons, the US also forbade entry for its summer open; I felt the USG's reasoning was even worse and inconsistent. Last June it dropped COVID testing requirements for foreign visitors. It's one thing to filter infected persons who could spread the virus. But even fully vaccinated people, especially those with waning antibodies over time, can be infected and in theory retransmit the rapidly evolving virus to others (although natural or acquired immunity should mitigate the risks of infection and retransmission) A pro athlete likely can't compete with symptomatic COVID, and I don't have an issue with event organizers testing athletes. National laws should be more nuanced and internally consisted (e.g., testing vs. vaccinated).
Djokovic was responsible for his own actions. There was no guarantee he would have won in 2022. He decided not getting a vaccine shot was more important than championships and/or money. That's an indulgent choice. He's not "principled"; it's more like "stubborn":
Several high-profile players have made headlines in recent weeks for not getting the shot, but by and large, the vast majority of their peers have -- at greater rates than the general public. ..[L]eagues such as the NBA, NFL and MLS have rates greater than 90%, with the NHL and WNBA at over 99%.
And there's this:
Kentucky residents who had recovered from a coronavirus infection but weren’t vaccinated were around twice as likely to get infected again as their vaccinated counterparts, researchers report August 6 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The families of my oldest nephew and niece were infected before vaccines and have subsequently been vaccinated. My niece's unvaccinated in-laws died tragically from COVID-19. It's the third leading cause of death in America.
The tennis pro Novak Djokovic says:
Amol - "Novak u are not saying that u doubt the vaccine is effective against covid-19, u are saying that u just don't know the full range of the effects it'd have inside of your body and till u have that information u won't have that vaccine."
Nole - "That's exactly what it is."
According to the Association of Tennis Professionals:
ATP continues to strongly recommend vaccination for all players on the ATP Tour, which we believe is essential for our sport to navigate the pandemic. This is based on scientific evidence supporting the health benefits provided and to comply with global travel regulations, which we anticipate will become stricter over time. We are encouraged that 97 percent of the Top 100 players are vaccinated leading into this year’s Australian Open.
First of all, Djokovic's dubious concerns of the vaccine's effects on his body are based on incompetent anti-vaxxer misinformation and FUD over "experimental" vaccines. Over 75% of Americans older than 12 are fully vaccinated, and the vast majority of pro athletes, including almost all of the tennis players he faxes, are vaccinated; there are no credible side effects other than temporary minor ones, that are statistically significant.
Second, Djokovic thinks he's entitled to a different set of rules than his competitors.
Third, Djokovic has a moral responsibility as a role model to kids and others to promote public health. COVID-19 is a leading cause of death globally, and in vaccines, we have proven tools to minimize the risk of hospitalization and death, to mitigate the spread and constraints on hospital capacity to treat not only COVID-19 but other medical emergencies. When celebrities abuse their platform, influencing other people not to contribute towards herd immunity, real people lose their health, if not their lives.
