Editing 2441: IMDb Vaccines

This is another comic in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series]] related to the {{w|2019-20 coronavirus outbreak|2020 pandemic}} of the {{w|coronavirus}} {{w|SARS-CoV-2}}, which causes {{w|COVID-19}}.

In another entry in the [[My Hobby]] series, Cueball is evaluating movies on {{w|IMDb}} (the ''Internet Movie Database'') based on how many people would need to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order for them to follow the CDC's most recent guidelines for how fully vaccinated people should act ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210324142553/https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html at time of posting]), assuming that the COVID-19 pandemic spread to the universes where the movies take place by the time at which they take place. This is part of a [[:Category:COVID-19|continuing pattern of comics]] where Randall applies COVID-19 safety standards to pre- or post-COVID situations.

At the moment, he is viewing the final confrontation between Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader (formerly Anakin Skywalker), and Emperor Sheev Palpatine on the second Death Star in ''{{w|Return of the Jedi}}''. Darth Vader wears a breathing apparatus in a mask that fully covers his face, as he sustained massive respiratory damage several movies earlier. During the confrontation, the Emperor is killed, and then Luke removes Vader's mask to see his face. (It is revealed in a previous film that Vader is Luke's father.) COVID-19 would be impossible for the Star Wars movies, which take place "long, long ago", well before COVID-19 existed

Cueball notes that if only Luke had been vaccinated, he would still be a possible risk to Vader. The various vaccines seem to do well to protect recipients from the harsher outcomes of the virus, but may not completely prevent them from mild infection and potentially then passing it onwards. Luke is young, healthy and probably less susceptible, were he to be exposed to the virus at any point, but Vader's health issues mean that he would be in much greater danger from such a respiratory disease without his own personal inoculation. The Emperor is elderly, so while he is probably not at as great of a risk as Vader is, he, too is susceptible if he were infected.  

Cueball judges that Darth Vader's mask and breathing apparatus would protect him from the virus, at least to a limited extent, which is not an unreasonable assumption- his suit has allowed him to [[wikia:w:c:starwars:Darth Vader's armor#Discomfort, limitations and enhancements|survive the vacuum of space for short periods of time]]. Cueball concludes that all the characters in this fight need to be vaccinated in order to prevent the spread of the virus, until the Emperor dies, at which point, only Vader needs to be vaccinated.

The title text refers to two separate CDC recommendations: if you are visiting with people from a single household when vaccinated, all at low risk of serious complications from COVID-19, you do not have to take precautions such as physical distancing or masks. If you are visiting with people from multiple households, then it is recommended that you take precautions against the spread of the disease regardless. Cueball is unsure weather or not Darth Vader and the Emperor live in close enough proximity to count as a single household, which would change how he decides who should and should not be vaccinated. It is unknown, based on the Original Trilogy of Star Wars movies alone, how much time Vader and the Emperor spend in proximity. The "weird black egg thing" refers to [https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Darth_Vader%27s_meditation_chamber Darth Vader's meditation chamber], first seen in ''{{w|The Empire Strikes Back}}'', which allows him to spend some time outside of his suit.

:My Hobby: Editing IMDB to note the minimum set of people who need to be vaccinated in each scene for it to pass muster under current CDC guidance.