Prasad Sangameshwaran

It’s a familiar situation. The rush of people towards the entrance — of a mall that’s opening doors on the first day of a mega sale, the much anticipated release of a movie on day one, a train that’s arrived at the platform and is late by 15 minutes, or even an examination hall.

Now picture this scenario from a distance. The rush towards one entrance or exit as the case may be is no different than a flock of cattle rushing towards a single exit in their shed or farm. This behaviour probably harks back to our primitive origins.

But in a modern world, this has resulted in the creation of multi-billion dollar economies. A premium class in airlines, the entire business of instant gratification, are just two among the multiple examples from the past.

Cut to the present: nothing has changed with respect to this trait in a post Covid-19 world. For the beleaguered travel and tourism industry, there’s a new revenue stream emerging — vaccine tourism. Hordes of people who are facing a vaccine shortage in their city or even country of residence are travelling that extra mile and staying put till their dual dosages are completed.

Also Read: The story behind Bhima Jewellery’s ‘Pure as Love’ ad

However, would it be unfair to expect better human behaviour when it comes to a serious global issue like the Covid-19 vaccination drive. Can’t we hold our horses rather than do what comes naturally to us?

Be rest assured this is a global problem. A search on google will show you that from Spain to Florida the healthy and wealthy are jumping the queue to get vaccine shots amid shortages by propping up fake grannies or granting political favours. In the US, people travelled between states to fit into eligibility criteria — each state had its own rules. According to the Washington Post, in Germany lawmakers are even proposing fines of up to the equivalent of USD 30,000 (about 25,000 Euros). Line jumpers can be prosecuted under existing laws — for fraud, embezzlement or accepting undue advantage. In fact, even a mayor wasn’t spared.

In Canada, a wealthy couple flew to a rural Yukon in January and took vaccine doses intended for Indigenous elders. They now face fines for not self-quarantining and for violating the terms of their entry into the territory.

According to Biblical mythology, Adam and Eve were the first amongst human beings. Are couples like the ones above preparing to be the last ones? And there’s no willingness to jump the queue on that.

(This weekly column offers a sneak peek into the discussions, debates and introspection that happens in the minds of our writers.)

Watch BE+ | Way forward mantras for post COVID world | Leading marketing leaders like Deepa Krishnan, Anurita Chopra, Samir Singh to Santosh Iyer, across sectors in the special video series