As a nation, we are still a long way from herd immunity to COVID-19, making the spread of the virus still a prominent public health issue. Estimates say that 70-90% of the population needs to be vaccinated to effectively stop its spread. As of Feb. 13, 52 million doses have been administered, and at this rate, around 75% of the population will be vaccinated by Nov. 2021.
However, about 30% of the population wants to wait and see the outcome of the first group getting vaccinated and 20% of the population is pretty hesitant about ever getting the vaccine. While these fears are not without reason (scientists and physicians are still understanding COVID-19, how it spreads and how effective the vaccine is at stopping the spread), all three available vaccines have undergone a rigorous testing process and are proven to be safe. With the vaccine becoming increasingly available to the public, it’s important to have a friendly but informative conversation with any of your friends, family or loved ones who may have doubts about getting vaccinated.
While having this conversation with vaccine-hesitant people, it’s important to make sure that you are offering a safe space to discuss concerns and worries. Reassure them that you are listening to them with an open mind and are not judging them for their opinions. Rather than flat-out telling them they are wrong about anything they say, ask them where they got their information and address that source if it is not a reliable one. This shifts the blame from them to the source, making for a healthier conversation.
Many people have concerns with how fast the vaccine was developed. Most vaccines take about 10-15 years to develop, but the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were ready to be administered in just over a year since the first case of COVID-19. It’s important to clarify to people who are critical of the timeline that although the vaccine was made at record speed, the development and phases themselves weren’t rushed. Instead, manufacturing of the vaccine started before Phase 3 of clinical trials were approved, something that wouldn’t normally happen.
There is still a lot of uncertainty around how the pandemic will progress and how effective the vaccine will be in protecting us against COVID-19 in the long term. Regardless, it’s our responsibility as good citizens to stop the spread, especially to protect all those who cannot get vaccinated right now, such as children and those who are allergic to ingredients in the vaccine.