One year into the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines are now widely available across the state of Michigan. One year of a strange new world filled with loss, hardship, loneliness, and an overall lack of empathy. One year of this, yet many refuse to receive the vaccine that may be our ticket out of this pandemic. Because of this, I wish to share why I am getting vaccinated, as you should too.
I am getting vaccinated so I can hug my grandparents again. It has been almost a year since I saw them last, as they are both high-risk individuals living in Florida, the state known for lacking mask mandates. I want to be able to see them without fear of getting them sick or hurting them. I want to spend time with them and feel safe doing so like I used to before the pandemic.
I am getting vaccinated so I can experience college. As a freshman, I have missed both the end of my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college. I want to attend my school, meet people on campus, explore the place I’ll be calling home for the next 3 years. I want to go to class and walk down Grand River on a Friday night, searching for something fun to do. I want to play college hockey and represent MSU as best as I can on the ice. I don’t want to miss out on another year of college experiences, living life on Zoom alone.
I am getting vaccinated for my community. I have watched my friends and their families struggle through this pandemic, losing their jobs, loved ones, education, businesses, and more. I have mourned the loss of people I knew, as well as people I have never met. I’ve watched as people disregarded the recommended rules and regulations, only to see them post an obituary of a loved one three weeks later. I do not want to see my community lose anyone else. I want to see my community grow and recover, something I believe the vaccine can achieve.
I am getting vaccinated for myself and for my family. I want to protect my little brothers and watch them experience high school and middle school like I did. I want to protect my parents, who have worked almost every day of this pandemic. I want to protect myself, an asthmatic individual who has been deemed high risk by the CDC and state health department. I want my life and my family’s lives to return to as normal as possible.
I am getting vaccinated because I trust the science behind it. I have been fascinated with mRNA since I was a freshman in high school. Watching the creation of this vaccine has been fascinating, knowing just how much time, money, and energy the world has committed to it. I trust the scientists and doctors who worked hand-in-hand to develop a safe vaccine as quickly as possible. I trust the researchers who have devoted their lives to their work. I want to honor that work by receiving the vaccine and encouraging others to follow suit.
I am getting the vaccine because it is the right thing to do. Over 500,000 lives have been lost in just over a year to COVID-19. 500,000 siblings, children, parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, doctors, grocery workers, and so many others have lost their lives. There is no better way to honor their lives than to get vaccinated and help lead the way towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
Although we all have our own reasons, I hope others can relate to my reasons for getting vaccinated. The sooner we can all be vaccinated, the sooner we can return to some sort of pre-pandemic normalcy. We are all in this together, one world united in fighting this pandemic.
For vaccine appointments in Michigan, please visit https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98178_103214—,00.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=covid20