COVID-19 vaccine should not be feared
Assistant Opinion Editor Marin Klein emphasizes the importance of not fearing the COVID-19 vaccine, as it is an important step in returning to normal.
January 26, 2021
As we enter 2021, we look back on the past year that was shrouded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Something we thought would be a two-week lockdown turned into a year of safety precautions and remote learning. Just a few weeks ago countries around the world began distributing doses of the COVID-19 vaccine; a possible light at the end of the tunnel. Massachusetts has begun to vaccinate health care workers, first responders and high-risk patients. As of Jan. 7, Massachusetts has administered 141,108 doses of the vaccine. Soon enough we students will get vaccinated, and I believe it’s extremely important that we aren’t fearful of this vaccine.
The CDC has confirmed that the two COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and many people have already been vaccinated. Many people are having trouble trusting this vaccine, but we have to remember that all vaccines go through rigorous trials and testing before releasing them to the public. This vaccine is part of the process of our lives going back to normal.
I hate shots just as much as the next person, but we have to understand the purpose. People avoid getting their flu shot each year, which leads to an easier spread of the flu and increased cases. This is why 2020 was a very important year to get the flu shot since hospitals are overrun with COVID cases.
The CDC has confirmed that the vaccine does not carry a live virus and cannot infect the patient with COVID-19. Each vaccine carries protein or materials from the virus, but nothing that will get you sick. It will just train your immune system if it has to fight the real virus. The vaccines have been shown as highly effective in preventing the spreading of the virus. We have to remember that our bodies take time to build immunity, so getting the vaccine does not mean we should stop social distancing and wearing masks.
Some of the population has concerns about the side effects of the vaccine, but there is a very important fact they need to take into account: you want side effects with a vaccine. That means your immune system is working to fight the vaccine and building up the antibodies to protect you if you happen to get infected with the virus. All shots have side effects. Everyone feels a little off after their flu vaccine because their body has to build the antibodies. Side effects should not be a reason to avoid the vaccine, because side effects mean your body is working as it should. 
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Once the COVID-19 vaccine is available to the general public it is extremely important that we get vaccinated. We have all already witnessed how fast and easily this virus can spread, and have spent most of the year taking precautions not to spread it. Now that we have a vaccine we can help prevent the spread even further, and get the vaccine as soon as possible soon the virus doesn’t have time to mutate and we end up in lockdown once again.
When deciding to get the vaccine, remember the importance of it. The vaccine can stop the spread and keep more people safe and healthy, which is healthcare professionals and the CDC’s overall goal. Just because we get the vaccine does not mean we are immune or everything will magically be normal again, but it is a step in the right direction.
