Vaccination or No Vaccination?

Why would I get the COVID-19 vaccine? This article, “Here’s Why You Should Get the Covid Vaccine,” on uabmedicine.org gives readers many reasons why getting vaccinated is the right thing to do. The main points of this article are to “help ensure public confidence in the vaccine” and to “emphasize that the benefits of the vaccine greatly outweigh mild potential side effects or inconvenience.” 

For these reasons I say, there will never be 100% confidence in a vaccine that was developed in under a year. Especially since most successful vaccinations can take up to 10-15 years, according to medicalnewstoday.com. Not only was this vaccination rushed, but “The COVID-19 vaccines are a new type [of vaccine].” How can we trust something that was rushed AND never used before? There are also many “conspiracies” around COVID-19 vaccines that may construe the opinions and confidence of a lot of people as well. I have heard that the vaccine will make people infertile as a way to control the population. I have also heard that the vaccine will allow the government to track you. Whether you believe it or not, neither sound appealing to me. 

For the author to assume there are only “mild” side effects for everyone is very bold. I am sure that the side effects for some were a lot worse than others. And, there have been cases where vaccinated people have still gotten COVID. And for some, it still hits hard. 

This brings me to my next point. The article states, very clearly, in bold, that the vaccination will keep you from getting the virus. Anyone who is just skimming through the website will immediately see those bold words and assume that is a fact. But, the article then goes on to say that the vaccine “significantly reduces the probability of contracting the virus.” And as we know, it is likely you will still contract the virus even after being vaccinated. 

I know that it is going to take everyone to finally end the pandemic, but there will never be a time where we all agree on one thing. There will never be a time where we all agree that the “COVID-19 vaccination is a safer way to help build protection.” The article tries to prove this statement by saying, “Getting vaccinated creates an antibody response, so that you are protected without having to experience the illness.” But I don’t understand. If we all become a-symptomatic, no one will know they have the virus and we will continue to spread it. 

No matter what you believe, even with the vaccine, it is going to take years before we can even think about going back to our normal lives.

Negative Side Effects of COVID 19 Vaccine?

In my last post, I had a couple of people ask if there are any negative side effects of the COVID-19 Vaccine. I did some research and I found that relating directly to the shot, there are some side effects that aren’t favorable. These include pain, redness, and swelling at the site of the shot. Although, you also may experience fatigue, headaches, chills, nausea, etc. Some may argue that these are enough reasons not to receive the vaccine, but https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect/after.html states that these symptoms should only last a few days. The website also gives you some tips to relieve your symptoms. 

As for the negative side effects of the actual vaccine, no one is really sure. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210203-why-vaccinated-people-may-still-be-able-to-spread-covid-19 explains the two main types of vaccines and how they work. However, when presented with the question of which type the COVID-19 Vaccine is, they say, “In a nutshell, we don’t know, because they’re too new.” This might not give people the confidence they need to take the vaccine yet. I know that I don’t want to take a vaccine that not even scientists know much about. This site mentions that many of the different vaccines have not been through clinical trials yet. Meaning there haven’t been any control groups to compare results to. There has also been no evidence that the vaccine will prevent you from getting infected. AND no evidence that you can’t still spread it to others after you’ve received a vaccine. How are we supposed to trust a vaccine that we cannot even prove works? Why get a vaccine for COVID-19 if it won’t prevent you from infection?

Another question I had that I can answer with my research was along the lines of if the vaccine was rushed or if we really can just produce one faster with our advanced skill and technology. In my opinion, it sounds like we just rushed the vaccine. If we really could produce a vaccine for COVID-19 that fast all because of our skills and technology, I think it would at least guarantee the prevention of infection. Additionally, with what I was explaining earlier, it doesn’t seem like anyone really knows much about what they made.

Intro to COVID-19 Vaccine Blog

People have many conspiracy theories and different views on the vaccines that have been developed for Covid-19. Some people believe the vaccines will rid the world of their Covid symptoms, give them immunity, and “allow life to return to normal” (https://www.brainandlife.org/articles/covid-19-vaccines-what-you-need-to-know/). However, others say the vaccines will cause infertility or even death. Some are worried about how quickly the vaccines were developed given that the flu vaccine took around three decades to be released, safely, for the public. These vaccines took less than a year and many say Covid-19 is much more severe than the flu, so I understand the concern. I want to research and learn what I should know about the vaccines and find out what not to believe.

Covid.cdc.gov shows that right now, 76,899,987 vaccines have been administered just in the United States. Sounds like a lot of people right? In reality, it is only 15.3% of the U.S. population who has received a vaccine. Are these people taking a vaccine because they are forced to through the work they do? Or are they taking it because they genuinely believe in it? A chart made previous to the release of the vaccines shows that the majority of people would get vaccinated if it was safe and effective. I want to explore these stats again at some point to see if anything has changed. I also would like to research the safety concerns/precautions of the vaccines. 

Researching and writing about Covid-19 vaccines is beneficial because I have recently been offered to take one. Although, I don’t know enough about them to make a decision. I want to use this information to decide if I should take a vaccine for the virus or not. Additionally, I want to use this platform to educate others who may be in the same position as I am.