Michael Carroll had not rehearsed the line or spent much time thinking about what exactly he would say.

But in the midst of Monday night’s meeting, the Barrington Town Council president briefly shared what he believes is an important message — he told all those listening that it is their civic duty to get vaccinated against Covid-19. 

“I really hadn’t considered saying anything beforehand, but I had heard a lot of national news stories about the reluctance of many to get vaccinated,” Mr. Carroll said.

“I do believe we have a civic duty to do things like get vaccinated or wear a mask. Living in a close-knit community like Barrington has a lot of advantages — we heard about some later on in the meeting. People are always there to help out if you’re in a bind and need someone to babysit the kids or let the dog out. Being in a community means you’ve got people watching so your kids stay out of trouble — it was only after I had kids of my own that I realized my mother really did have eyes everywhere in town. 

“We also lean on each other when things are at their worst. I’ll never forget watching a boy going down the street with a wagon full of Tupperware. His mom had died after a long illness and he was returning all the dishes that other moms had supplied dinners in.”

Mr. Carroll said that for all the benefits residents receive from living in a community such as Barrington, there are also responsibilities.

“We’ve got folks who are immunocompromised or too young to be vaccinated,” Mr. Carroll said. “Those of us in this community who can be vaccinated have a responsibility to get vaccinated, so that we can protect (those) who can’t from this deadly disease.”