Cathleen Chow '23
BBC News
“Keep your masks on, and stay six feet apart” has become the new normal I wish I did not have to experience. Regrettably, I have not appreciated the simple nature of a functioning society, but this is not the time for sorrow. The simple fact is that we are faced with a global pandemic. Perhaps this was inevitable, for good things do not last long, and sooner or later we would’ve arrived at this point. And things, whether good or bad, will all come to an end. This is it.
The coronavirus we know today is the infamous SARS-CoV-2, which has direct ancestry to the SARS-CoV from 2002. It is spread through droplets released into the air from sneezes, coughs, and anything spit related. Just recently, scientists have confirmed mutations of the viruses appearing globally. Of course, I’m sure we all have seen this information once, twice, or a hundred times in the newspaper over the past year.
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the COVID vaccine found today is derived from research on three human-infecting and highly pathogenic coronaviruses (CoVs): SARS-CoV (2002-2004), MERS-CoV (2012-current), and SARS-CoV-2 (2019-current). There are three types of vaccines: mRNA vaccines, protein subunit vaccines, and vector vaccines—all of which use the protein of the CoV mRNA to combat any viruses entering your body.
It is simple to say that taking the vaccine is beneficial. However, why not take it?
1) Skepticism
The argument is simple: I do not trust what I do not know. Fear has held a grip on most of society for the past year; whether that be in the form of a mask, self-isolation, or giving dirty looks to the person who is standing really close to you, I’m sure we all feared getting the coronavirus. It is only reasonable; as humans, we hold value to our lives. In the same sense of fear that one may have regarding the coronavirus, one may fear the vaccine just as much.
Health Affairs’ “Works with COVID-19 Side Effects Deserve Time Off to Recover” says it is an overstatement that the vaccine does not have any side effects, which may include extremely sore arms, swelling, mild fevers, fatigue, and aches. Perhaps not life-threatening, but still apparent.
Just like the argument, the solution is also quite simple: inform yourself to know what you do not know. Whether that be constantly researching articles written about the vaccine or reaching out to your doctor to inquire about possible side effects to you personally, taking that leap forward is enough to build momentum and trust in the technology that we have fortunately found.
However, if it is a matter of mistrust towards science itself or the government, that is a different issue that is usually left unresolved.
2) Mistrust in Science
The age-old anti-vaccination argument that the government is conspiring against the public has always been prominent, this conversation repeated every flu season. According to Healthline’s “Understanding Opposition to Vaccines,” Mistrust in how scientists conduct their extensive research because they have not seen it firsthand nor understood it is the common argument of those in opposition to vaccines. Oftentimes, those who mistrust scientists trust themselves more and resolve to home remedies because diseases are a natural occurrence. However, it is important to note that diseases are a natural occurrence that causes the deaths of large populations if left untreated.
Unfortunately, there is no solution to this problem. If a believer that the government is conspiring against them resolves to not take vaccines, they are probably very deep in the rabbit hole of mistrust. In the same way that a religious believer will not believe otherwise even if they are presented with legitimate evidence, this anti-vaccination argument has become something similar to a cult of conspiracies, fear, and god-knows-what diseases lingering.
3) New Mutations
From September of 2020, there have been some “slow changes” to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, based on Nature’s “The coronavirus is mutating--does that matter?” As of current, there are three major variants from the original virus, recognized by their origin: the United Kingdom, Japan/Brazil, and South Africa.
The US Department of Health & Human Services notes that a mutation doesn’t always signify something good or bad; in fact, a mutation can have little to no effect on the virus itself. In this case, all of these three variants contain D614G, a mutation which allows the variants to be highly contagious; some evidence hints that the mutation allows the variant to spread much more quickly than the original. Regarding these mutations, as of current, Judy Stone claims in Forbes’ “12 Most Common Questions About Covid Mutations And Vaccines” that there are no cases in which those who have the mutated virus are sicker than those with the original.
In the Huffington Posts’ “Will the COVID-19 Vaccine Work on New Mutations of the Virus?”, Seraphina Seow says that, for now, the vaccine seems to be combatting all variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus at different degrees; the vaccine may not be as effective against the mutated variants. And there is no evidence showing that those who took the vaccine can be reinfected more easily by the new mutations. In fact, Stone says, “‘None (of the mutations) has made a significant impact on either the susceptibility of the virus to any of the currently used therapeutics, drugs or the vaccines under development,’ per WHO’s Dr. Soumaya Swaminathan.”
4) Underlying Health Conditions
In the same article, Stone later explains that the most serious reaction to the vaccine (which is perfectly safe) is anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction. This occurs between 5-15 minutes after having taken the shot and professional medical staff can assist you to safety since those who have taken the vaccine have to be monitored for 10-30 minutes.
Whether it is allergies or perhaps it is sensitivity in the bloodstream that physically barricades you from taking the vaccine. In that case, please stay healthy. We are rooting for you.
5) Fear of Needles
It is ironic that the pointy and sharp metal that devastated the society in “Sleeping Beauty” has become our savior. Fortunately, there are alternative options to avoid the dreaded needle when taking a vaccine, which, according to WedMD, includes jet injectors (squirt guns that squirt the vaccine through the skin), skin patches, and really thin needles.
Unfortunately, these alternative options aren’t necessarily available in all vaccination sites, so I suppose a case of trypanophobia will have to wait.
Long story short, I would advise that we all take the vaccine, one way or another. Perhaps the true question regarding the vaccine is not whether to take it, but how to take it. If that is so, why is opposition to the vaccination so important to address?
1) People who don’t take the vaccine might get sick.
2) Vaccines can only mitigate a virus from spreading. Vaccines do not guarantee 100% immunity to any type of virus, so, even after taking the vaccine, caution around others is necessary. Those who do not take the vaccine are more likely to have the virus and spread it to others.
3) The virus might re-emerge (and I know I am not ready for CoV 3.0).
In the end, the choice is in your hands whether or not to take the vaccine, regardless of anybody or anything. Keep your masks on and stay six feet apart.
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