Opinion
Social media posts are sharing the excitement of live attendance at the 2021 VMX Convention. There’s a backdrop to these return to normal accounts to keep in mind. While progress is being made, racial and ethnic gaps persist, despite an overall decline in pandemic hardship.
According to the U.S. Pandemic Misery Index, 80 percent of U.S. adults experienced at least one serious economic, psychological or health hardship between April 2020 and March 2021.
Source: The Conversation, June 1, 2021. Link.
Full pandemic recovery for all Americans will require interventions that address systemic inequality.”
INSIGHTS: People who have been through severe flooding, tornados wiping out towns or hurricanes damaging entire regions have a clear understanding of the time and effort required to recover. Our industry often steps in to help during such crises.
One-and done-efforts are appreciated. However, this recovery will require patient, sustained efforts to support animal owners whose lives continue to struggle from pandemic disruptions. Some examples include:
- Community-wide pet health checks supported by local veterinary groups
- Vaccination clinics to ensure core vaccinations
- Optimizing live or digital medicine platforms
- Outsourcing first contact to one of the veterinarian-on-call platforms to optimize staff and hands on services