Argumentative essay for college athletes getting vaccinated

COVID-19 VACCINATION

The NCAA should make the Covid-19 vaccination mandatory because this vaccine brings plenty of benefits to sport programs and to the athletes competing themselves. These benefits range from economic advantages that help support academic institutions to intangible benefits designed to help society cope with the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented damage to countries around the world.. The sudden halt of economic activity in particularly has been crippling to world GDP growth. Due in part to demand constraints, businesses experienced reduced activity, profits and along with severe liquidity constraints. As has been well documented, businesses around the world where forced to close in order to mitigate the impacts of the virus. These business closures ultimately resulted in a precipitous decline of world gross domestic product. Table 1, provided the Office of Congressional Research Services provides the percentage change of GDP growth for countries around the world during the pandemic. In Q1 and Q2 2020, nearly every major country in the world saw a contraction in GDP growth due to the pandemic.

The sports and entertainment sector are not immune to these changes in businesses closure and economic activity. If fact, the consequence for these two sectors of the economy where more severe due to the importance of live viewership toward the entertainment value of the product. Sporting events for example, saw severe economic contraction through cancellations of tournaments, national and international competitions, and travelling. Covid-19 is a virus-related infection whose cure is yet to be established but scientists have worked round the clock to come up with vaccines that reduce the risks of contracting or spreading the virus. The vaccines also help in reducing the adverse effects of the virus such as death and breathing complications. There are different types of covid-19 vaccines produced by world renowned pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson that have been distributed around the world to help mitigate the impact of the virus on society.

The World Health Organization has urged all nations and citizens to get vaccinate against the virus. These vaccines are distributed to every state and given freely to citizens at health centers or any designated Covid-19 centers. It is through the discovery of these drugs that people, organizations, businesses, athletic competitions and lockdowns were lifted. People are now in a better position to prevent the spread or contraction of the virus as they are much better able to return to a normalized life. Due in part to the severe lockdowns put in place around the world to combat the virus, consumers where able to dramatically increase their savings rates. As consumers were forced to stay indoors, they spent less on outdoor leisure activities. They also postponed vacations, attendance to sporting events, and other activities due to the uncertainty surrounding the virus (Attwell, 2018). Due in part to future uncertainty surrounding the future of the labor market, consumers also began to establish “rainy day funds” in the event a severe adverse shock occurs. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, the savings rate as a percentage of disposable income increase from 7.2% in December 2019 to a record high of 33.7% in April 2020. Figure 1, for the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, presents the savings rates over the last decade.

Figure 1 – Savings rates in the United States over the past decade.

As the chart indicates, due to the pandemic there is now a large amount of pent up demand for goods and services needed by consumers. This bodes well for future revenue growth for sporting events as not only do consumers have the ability to pay, they are much more willing to pay due in part to the long and extensive lock downs. Thus the vaccinations could promote the future rise of sporting activities after a long and protracted economic closure (Attwell, 2019).

Legislation has also played a critical role within the overall vaccine discourse of the world. Many businesses around the world to better protect their customers and employees have enacted vaccination mandates. The United States government has also enacted vaccines mandates for contractors and employees working within federal agencies. The state of New York has even imposed a state-wide vaccine mandate for both the private and public sector. With large, established, and well-recognized businesses making the vaccine mandatory, the sports and entertainment sector should not be exempt. Her, the NCAA should make the Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for all the athletes.

The benefits for mandating the vaccination are numerous. Arguably the most important benefit is that of the health and safety of the athlete. Although rare, COVID-19 can have a very negative impact on person that is infected, including death. As a high contagious virus, a vaccination mandate also shows compassion for other players, staff, coaches and personnel who may not have as strong as an immune system. Remaining unvaccinated could potentially jeopardize the lives of these individuals simply through exposure to an infected player. Vaccinations also have a positive impact to sports programs and the community at large. Vaccinations being one of the strategies of controlling the spread of Covid-19, the sporting community should prioritize this procedure for their health benefits and development of sports. One way in which the Covid-19 virus is spread is through coming into contact with surfaces that have been contaminated with virus. People are advised to avoid a lot of contact and any crowded places. Sporting activities are actually the opposite of that; there is close contact of athletes as they engage in their daily activities and overseas games or interschool matches. Thus, the need for a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination for all the NCAA athletes to ensure health safety is observed in sports.

Another benefit of vaccination requirement is that of consumer confidence. Consumers have been inundated with negative publicity related to surges in COVID cases during the fall and winter seasons. This aspect, combined with political instability has caused sharp rises in COVID related deaths during certain periods of time. For example debates regarding mask mandates in COVID hotspots have contributed to a higher level of death than would have other wise occurred. Researched conducted by Chernozhukov and Kasahara indicated that mask mandates could have prevented nearly 87,000 deaths during the height of the pandemic (Chernozhukov, 2021). As such having a vaccination mandate for athletes can help instill consumer confidence in the product being provided. This along with stadium mandates, and mask requirements will ultimately improve the overall integrity of the sport and its consumers. This confidence will further persuade consumers to attend and watch sporting events.

By having athletes obtain the vaccination, it sends a clear message to the world of the importance of the vaccine, irrespective of physical strength and abilities of the individual. By having all athletes obtain a vaccination, it provides much more exposure and weight to persuade other individuals in society to become vaccinated. College athletes are often regarded as individuals with the greatest physical gifts the world has to offer. Many college athletes from Tim Tebow to Zion Williamson are heavily idolized during their college years. Colleges often makes millions of dollars leveraging the likeness of their college athletes due in part to this popularity. Athletes, unlike other professions, often have a mystique about them. Consumers, particularly children, see them as modern-day superheroes and look to immolate their abilities on the court or field. As result, simply having athletes become vaccinated could potentially lead to others who were once reluctant to get a vaccination as well. These benefits society as athletes can further the overall heard immunity initiative that is require to help mitigate the influence of COVID-19 on civilization.

Likewise, mandatory vaccination can help the athlete continue to improve both academically and athletically by affording them opportunities that non-vaccinated player would not be able to receive. Here, vaccinated players have a better opportunity to travel overseas to perfect their craft in foreign markets. This particularly benefits for sports that are widely adopted from an international perspective such as soccer, baseball, and basketball. The ability to train and leverage international talent benefits the athlete as the look to hone and perfect their athletic skills. In addition, athletes benefit from academically as well. Here, athletes are better able to leverage a learning mechanism and procedure the benefits their particularly learning style. If vaccinated, athletes are better able to learn both in-person and online. This is helpful for many academic benefits provided by the school such as tutoring or in-person lectures. Through proper vaccinations students are better able to learn in a manner that best benefits them, putting them in a better position to succeed.

It is important for athletes to receive the vaccination because it protects them from contracting the virus while in training or competitions overseas. As noted above, international competition is a core element within many collegiate sports. Athletes often go overseas to train, compete or even rehab. Through proper vaccinations, these athletes are better able to engage in these activities not only within the country but internationally as well. This also benefits the college institution by furthering the brand outside the United States, which could lead to higher merchandise and ticket sales. Athletes practice better without fear of developing any complication related to the virus. With the new emergence of Omicron Variant which spreads faster, causes more infections, and severe illnesses to patients, non-vaccinated athletes must continue to engage inefficient activities that could ultimately harm the team and its staff. Covid-19 vaccinations help reduce the risk of contracting such a variant and boost the athletes’ immunity. Vaccines are greatly effective in averting severe symptoms that result to hospitalization or death. By getting these Covid-19 vaccinations, they protect the athletes from getting longer periods of infections from these variants.

Mandating vaccinations also enhances the overall NCAA product by having the best athletes available during the best matches. In 2019, the year prior to the pandemic, the NCAA generated nearly $19 Billion in revenue. Figure 2 below indicates the overall revenues streams from the NCAA.

Figure 2 – NCAA college sports revenue

These streams are heavily correlated to key matchups and star players being available throughout the season. With vaccination mandates, it ensures that key players and matchups will be available to generate revenue for the NCAA and corresponding universities. These revenue stress also have the residual impact of helping universities fund improvements to buildings or provide scholarships to needy students. Without key players the revenue generated from these events will be lower than it otherwise could have been.

All athletes, professors and coaches need to get vaccinated. This is an advantage to NCAA because there won’t be cause of alarm on during games. One disadvantage that result to any athlete testing positive and having the team not vaccinated, is that the whole team can be forced to reschedule events to accommodate the healing process and testing afterwards. The back and forth can be avoided by making the Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for all athletes. It will also help athletes stay in their classrooms and fields longer. Through the vaccinations, athletes can have a safe, healthy and continuous sport season full of fun. Making Covid-19 vaccinations for all qualified athletes mandatory is the greatest extenuation approach in preventing Covid-19 epidemics on sports team, and their families and communities. “If you have any kind of public life outside of your home — which the student-athletes in question do, since they attend school — your actions affect other people. It’s not always on purpose or something we’re consciously aware of, but it happens, because we share living spaces with one another.” (Omer, 2019).

Vaccinations will help NCAA avoid repeated quarantines of officials, athletes, family members and coaches. Testing of participants is likely going to reduce allowing uninterrupted season of sports as athletes get used to the “new normal” in our states. Another reason why it is important for Covid-19 vaccinations need to be mandatory for all athletes, that one doesn’t need to quarantine after being exposed to Covid-19 case. Sports is one of the exposure mechanisms for Covid-19 hence the necessity for mandatory vaccinations. Every state is making sure that its citizen gets vaccinated and all the necessary precautions that reduce the spread of Covid-19 are observed. Through this, the state can allow more sports programs to occur and for athletes to continue with their activities. When vaccinations happen, athletes can enjoy their games with minimal worry of infections especially of Covid-19 (Omer, 2014).

All athletes are looking forward to having all athletic seasons get back normalcy, providing them with more athletic opportunities. Sports is what athletes love doing and that freedom being taken away from them by the pandemic had a devastating effect on them in terms of their physical fitness and psychological wellness. Many of these athletes work so hard their entire only to pause everything due to an infection that is preventable. There is no point of having athletes subjected to negative PCR tests daily, being designated and using different facilities from other athletes, when that can be prevented if all athletes receive the vaccine. During the competitions, athletes who come into contact with covid cases or tests positive have to drop out from the competitions and completely quarantine. It means that what they worked so hard is taken away from them when the best solution is getting vaccinated and making it mandatory for all the athletes.

The vaccinations not being mandatory may hinder athletes from accessing countries that require one to be vaccinated from Coronavirus. Any athlete not vaccinated is most likely going to miss games or forgo a season. For athletes in college, this is going to cause a drop in their performance or GPA where sports are considered part of academics. Failing in academic performance can have a destructive effect on one’s career path. By making the vaccinations mandatory, athletes are assured of no missed games due to Covid-19 protocols that have been put in place by different countries.

With the current expectations of this pandemic lasting for many more years to come if not months due to the recent different mutations that occur every day; it is important that NCAA makes it a rule for every athlete to get the Covid-19 vaccination. Booster vaccinations will also be a great addition to the vaccines after a few months to continue boosting the athletes’ immune system. They need a strong and healthy body for them to take on athletic activities and enable them to be fit in terms of their physical appearance and health wise.

According to the World Health Organization, the rate of coronavirus transmission since vaccination began. This is a clear indication that the vaccine works in preventing the rapid spread of the infection and severe illness. Covid-19 vaccination should be among the first considerations of athletes bearing in mind that hey come into close contact with their teammates and opponent while playing. By looking at someone, one can’t tell who is infected and who is not. Such contact increases the risk of transmission of many diseases, coronavirus being one of them. Athletes fall under the category of the most vulnerable people because of their daily interactions with a lot of people in the field. Thus, athletes should be vaccinated more belligerently than the rest of the population (Gualano, 2019).

It is important for NCAA to make the Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory to avoid a detrimental performance on the team due to the absence of some athletes in quarantine or sick. Severe symptoms would lead to absenteeism of athletes. Mandatory vaccination will also ensure no discrimination amongst the athletes whether from the coach or other athletes. Athletes that have been vaccinated can treat those that haven’t been vaccinated differently and look down upon them. Such treatment can cause the athlete view himself/herself not fit for or perfectly prepared for competitions. The thought that one be a hindrance to the team’s success or their performance can be a psychological hindrance deterring the athlete from realizing their full potential in sports. In a team where some athletes have been vaccinated and others haven’t taken the vaccine shots, the coach is more likely to leave those not vaccinated on the bench for fear of contractions or just to be safe.

Athletes get involved in different and intensive exercises as they practice different games. Exercise is known to boost one’s immunity and the circulation of blood throughout the body. Having athletes get the vaccination could intensify the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccine. Exercise helps reduce the risk of infections and advances the efficacy of vaccines. Incorporating the vaccine and everyday exercises, athletes are guaranteed of a great immunity against coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

By NCAA making covid-19 vaccination mandatory, it acts as s motivation to the athletes which helps them concentrate more on their games, and prepare thoroughly for their competition. There desire to continue with athletic activities is influenced by the fact that one feels safes being with athletes. The fear of contracting the disease or transmitting the virus is eliminated. Such impact as a positive effect on the team’s performance. The athletes get to achieve their dreams which is a very exciting feeling. NCAA medical experts stated that teams that have been fully vaccinated are likely to avoid disruptions and Covid-19 protocols that other teams may experience during a sport season. This leaves the team with sufficient time to exercise and prepare for the competitions.

According to the NCAA officials, vaccinated athletes have a different set of protocols from those unvaccinated. The probability of those not vaccinated to be affect by Covid-19 outbreak is high than in those already vaccinated. With the disruptions experienced in 2020 where athletes had to undergo regular testing, as others were subjected to quarantine rules and contact-tracing, can be avoided if vaccination is made mandatory. It is evident that the more people get vaccinated, the closer the world gets to a level of immunity where the spread of the virus is minimal. NCAA reduces the chances having a no-contest situation because a team hasn’t vaccinated all it’s team player. No team will risk contracting the virus from another team that is unvaccinated. Having the team vaccinated reduces it from lagging behind other sport and the general performance of the school.

The no-contests and rescheduled games that were experienced in 2020 costed the sport society. But with the increase on vaccinations this year, games went on as planned and there was flow money. This indicates that the more games are postponed and others forfeited, institutions and NCAA lose money. Thus, the need to have athletes vaccinated.

Before making the vaccine mandatory, NCAA needs to educate the students, parents and other officials on the importance of getting vaccinated. This is because much of the resistance experienced is due to religious beliefs, theories about the vaccine, and inadequate information about the vaccines which leaves the parties undecided. Ensuring institutions work closely with the health centers to educate and also vaccinate students is essential. Coaches, officials and the school administration should be at the forefront in advocating, through leading by example, the importance of Covid-19 vaccination. Not being vaccinated means a player stays unprotected for the whole season. Informing the athletes that vaccination is for their own good is important.