Even though many people have “shopped” for vaccines, researching their differences and the potential impact on their health, the best vaccine is the one that is readily available (Lasca, 2021).
Therefore, vaccinations present the only viable option for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 as well as reducing the risks of adverse symptoms in case of contamination. The benefits of getting the vaccine have been shown to outweigh the limitations.
Some people avoid getting the vaccine because of the lack of education and the fear-mongering that they may face from others. However, it is also imperative to consider that there are health-related factors that prevent people from getting it.
There is a certain mistrust and hesitancy to get the vaccine because people do not have enough information about how they work (HHS, 2021). Thus, many individuals choose to avoid getting the vaccine and fail to do their research.
Fear-mongering is a great challenge as there is a lot of misinformation coming from unreliable sources, encouraging people not to get the vaccine (O’Leary, 2021).
However, in any area, some immunocompromised individuals clinically cannot get the vaccine due to possible complications (O’Leary, 2021; HHS, 2021). Thus, they rely on their fellow community members to show respect and get vaccinated to avoid the spreading of the disease in their respective areas.
Thus, besides health-related reasons, people choose not to get it because of the lack of education and listening to misinformation.
There are several myths about vaccines that people believe, and they come from both perspectives, the pro-vaccine and the anti-vaccine standpoint.
There is a myth that those who have already had COVID-19 do not need to get vaccinated. Even though having coronavirus produces antibodies, the risk of getting infected again in unvaccinated individuals is two times higher than in those who got vaccinated, as suggested by Kelen and Maragakis (2021), M.D.s from John Hopkins University.
Another myth is that the vaccine is unsafe and will have long-term side effects. This is not true because severe side effects occur extremely rarely and if they take place, they happen shortly after administration of the vaccine. Overall, the COVID-19 vaccine is safe to administer to the population (CDC, 2021).
As of today, researchers cannot say for sure that all COVID-19 vaccines will protect populations from all variants of the disease as well as from getting reinfected. Nevertheless, vaccinated individuals that got infected by COVID-19 have milder symptoms and minimum chances of mortality and hospitalization, as suggested by the CDC (2021).
Thus, it is imperative to know about vaccine myths to be better informed and make good decisions about health.
The topic of vaccinations remains a highly debated one due to the concerns regarding side effects as well as arguments regarding civil freedoms. However, the advantages of getting vaccinated overweight the disadvantages. For now, there is no other alternative to vaccinations when it comes to preventing the spreading of COVID-19 and its variants. Despite the misinformation and myths about the vaccine, it is safe to administer and is unlikely to cause any long-term adverse health effects. Besides, even if one gets COVID-19 after getting vaccinated, people have milder symptoms and minimum chances of mortality and hospitalization.
References
CDC. (2021). Vaccines & immunizations. Web.
HHS. (2021). Vaccines protect your community. Web.
Kelen, G. D., & Maragis, L. (2021). COVID-19 vaccines: Myth versus fact. Web.
Lasca, J. E. (2021). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: ‘best vaccine is the one that is available’ versus ‘waiting for what is good is the best option.’ Journal of Public Health, 2021. Web.
O’Leary, D. (2021). Guest Column: Getting COVID-19 vaccine a ‘sign of respect’ for others in your community. Web.