Over the past seven weeks, Ive had the opportunity to vaccinate people at Hastings Family Care, Allens and the Adams County Fairgrounds.
After I received my second dose of the Moderna mRNA vaccine on Feb. 3, I wanted to make sure I was part of the effort to vaccinate people against COVID-19 in our community and surrounding area.
Each clinic has given me the chance to have in-person conversations with people about the pandemic events of the past 12 months; everything from the early issues with testing, to masks and now vaccines.
Ive listened to their stories, opinions, fears and hopes.
Some of the people have had hours reduced at work or lost employment. Some have been hospitalized due to COVID-19; others have known someone who died.
Some people view the pandemic as just one giant inconvenience because they havent gotten sick, didnt lose their job and dont know anyone whos been hospitalized or died.
Others have followed the guidelines and recommendations from scientists, healthcare professionals and public health officials.
With all of that being said, some people will also decide to not get vaccinated.
They might make this decision because they dont trust the government or Big Pharma.
Maybe those people have come to the conclusion that the vaccines are just too new and they want to see if any evidence comes out that theyre harmful.
Perhaps, anti-vaxxers on social media have convinced them to avoid getting vaccinated because of outlandish conspiracy theories and misinformation.
Whatever the reason, these people will forgo receiving a vaccine and put themselves, their unvaccinated friends/family, and people they dont even know at risk for COVID-19 transmission.
Heres what I know and understand, though:
All of the current vaccines are safe and highly effective at reducing the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
Not only are they safe and highly effective, the mRNA technology has been studied for the past decade.
The vaccines might be new, but the research that was conducted to develop them is not.
When COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic last spring, none of us knew exactly how long it might take for a vaccine to be developed.
Now that vaccines are widely available, we need as many people as possible to perform what I consider to be a civic duty get vaccinated.
There will always be people who are skeptical about vaccines, and although I strongly disagree with their skepticism, they need the rest of us to do our part to help protect them.
Most viruses mutate and change with relative ease and frequency.
While the current vaccines appear effective against the most notable variants of COVID-19, this might not be the case if the virus continues to spread among unvaccinated people.
Im optimistic for more normal days ahead, but well only get there if a majority of people are vaccinated.
If you, or someone you know, are hesitant about getting vaccinated, I encourage you (and them) to talk with your primary healthcare provider and get all of your questions/concerns addressed.
Make an informed decision; one based in science and data, not on opinions from people online.
Im not old enough to have lived through the mass polio vaccinations of the 1950s, but some of the people who Ive vaccinated against COVID-19 did.
While there was probably some early skepticism surrounding the polio vaccine, it has virtually eliminated cases of polio in the United States because children are routinely vaccinated against it.
Vaccines work, and its our civic responsibility to protect each other from preventable illnesses.
Do your part, roll up your sleeve and trust in the science.
Andrew McCarty, RN
Hastings