Introduction
According to Handy, many people are still not sure whether they should get the COVID-19 vaccine. Some are simply afraid of the side effects that may occur after getting vaccinated while others are simply not willing to take any risks. In fact, there are conspiracy theorists that believe that getting that vaccine may do you more harm than good. However, in this time of great panic and confusion, we must have faith in the medical professionals who are doing their best to serve their nations.
The Reasons
Here are a few reasons why you should get the vaccine for COVID-19:
- It reduces your risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus – After undergoing months of research, testing, and clinical trials, the approved COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus by about 70%. And, even if you do get affected by COVID-19 after taking the COVID-19 vaccine, the illness wouldn’t turn severe since your immune system would already be primed to fight off the virus.
Thus, getting the COVID-19 vaccine would not only reduce your risk of infection but also make sure the illness doesn’t turn life-threatening if you still become sick.
- It’s safer than most people believe – The COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t contain any live COVID-19 virus. These are mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines that simply instruct the cells to create a ‘spike protein’ that prompts the immune system to develop an immune response and create antibodies to fight off the infection. Since the COVID-19 mRNA never actually enters the nucleus of the cell, it doesn’t affect the genetic material (DNA).
Now, you may notice a few side effects such as headache, mild fever, and tiredness but it’s completely normal and would get resolved on its own after a few days. And any side effect you experience is much better than being infected with the coronavirus.
- It would allow you to lead a more normal life – People who are not vaccinated need to follow all the safety protocols such as wearing masks when going outside, washing their hands with a sanitizer or soap, maintaining a distance of at least 1 meter from other people to remain safe. And people with symptoms of COVID-19 are required to remain in quarantine. All these restrictions have lowered the quality of life and have become very frustrating for many people.
However, after two weeks of getting your second vaccine dose when you would be officially considered fully vaccinated, you may interact with other fully vaccinated people normally without wearing masks.
- It would help to get rid of the pandemic – Fully vaccinated people have a much lower chance of infecting other people with the COVID-19 virus. And, when enough people get fully vaccinated, it can drastically slow down the spread of the COVID-19 virus and help us achieve what is known as herd immunity. Herd immunity is extremely important to achieve since it can also help people with weak immune systems who don’t have the option to get vaccinated.
Conclusion
Handy suggests you educate yourself further on this subject to understand the implications of getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
