COVID vaccines provide new hope

It seems like the light at the end of a long, dark, scary tunnel. The new COVID vaccines made by Pfiezer and Moderna offer what could be the solution to the devastating pandemic. But because this is America, it has become politicized before it has even reached most citizens, with many already refusing the vaccine. 

In order to achieve herd immunity, 75 percent of Americans need to be vaccinated, and sooner rather than later. With a new mutated form of the COVID virus reaching the United States, it’s only a matter of time until it mutates into a new virus in need of a new vaccine. The vaccine has a 60 percent confidence level among Americans, inching closer and closer to the number needed for herd immunity. 

If you are someone who is thinking about rejecting the vaccine: don’t. Vaccines have revolutionized medical history for a reason; they give us the best chance at completely eliminating diseases altogether. It’s been proven time and time again with diseases like polio, mumps, measles and rubella, that vaccines work. 

The main excuse many give for rejecting the vaccine is that they want to do their own research. But fundamentally, most Americans lack the basic chemistry skills needed to be able to fully understand the way the vaccine works. This formula has been researched by thousands of qualified, accredited doctors and scientists who know more than we do. I say that we trust them to do their job, free of politics and social pressures. 

Refusal of vaccination is just a symptom of the larger problem in America’s current political climate. It is the same story with masks; as anti-maskers storm into stores, coughing on others to prove that they are not “sheep.” Sheep follow rules and basic structure, so no, I would say they definitely are not sheep. 

This pandemic, realistically, is not going anywhere for a very long time unless Americans band together and take the necessary steps to defeat it. Staying at home, avoiding large gatherings and wearing a mask have proven to work in other countries, but the division of America has slowed our progress in the pandemic and put us months behind other highly developed nations. 

We have the power to stop this pandemic, to return life to a pre-COVID “normal.” If we have the opportunity to achieve herd immunity, we need to take advantage of it. The risk you run of slight side effects are far better than the other option of possibly exposing you or someone else to a life-threatening virus. 

Take steps now so we can return to a normal society. Wear a mask. Get vaccinated.