To Be or Not To Be Vaccinated

That was the question in my mind . I was hesitant to get vaccinated.

In the first place, I’m not a “vaccine person” , I don’t get anti-pneumonia vaccine or anti-flu vaccine which many take annually or as often as new vaccines for new flu/pneumonia strains are released. The vaccines I had were given to me when I was an infant perhaps, and when I was in grade school.

In the second place , the Anti -Covid vaccines were hastily developed to catch up with the fast spread of Covid and not thoroughly tested yet. The side-effects are not fully known.

In the third place, the vaccine doesn’t guarantee that the vaccinee will not get infected with Covid and should still practice the health protocol of using face mask , face shield , frequent washing and social distancing. So it seems there’s no difference in the freedom to do our everyday tasks and little pleasures.

However, the pandemic is still ravaging the world. It’s evident that the precautions are not enough. Probably they are enough but many are seen not observing health protocols that require consistent use, probably people are experiencing protocol fatigue. And slowly like a creeping drama , the Covid statistics I read or see in the news started to have faces. Some people I know got infected with Covid like a former officemate who at least was asymptomatic, a nephew who was also asymptomatic, a former classmate who was hospitalized with her husband who also tested positive and the more tragic ones who passed away.

There has to be an additional measure to contain the pandemic. So, I read articles on different vaccines.

Eventually, I decided to get vaccinated for the following reasons.

There is a risk in a new vaccine but there is also that risk in getting infected with Covid and I think the Covid risk outweighs the vaccine risk. I don’t take anti-flu vaccines but there is no flu pandemic so the risk is less.

I asked my doctor his opinion on whether I should get vaccinated and which vaccine. He said I should, any vaccine.

Even if a vaccinee gets infected with Covid, it’s not going to be severe.

The vaccinee will help stop the spread of Covid and the virus can’t mutate until herd immunity is reached.

So, on June 11 I got my first dose of vaccine and on July 9 had my second dose.