Here is a statement that can either scare you or fill you with hope, “The COVID-19 vaccine is now available for anyone 12 and up in Indiana.” While this should be a great step in our battle against COVID-19, some still seem to skepticize the COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccine is our way to get closer to normal. Getting the vaccine and waiting your two weeks will not take us completely back to normal and no one ever said it would, like many people have misinterpreted it to be on social media. It is, however, a step closer to a more normal world. While many have their own reasons for not wanting to be vaccinated, the blame can lie solely on social media for the mistrust of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccine is to help protect you and others around you from the near death side effects of COVID-19. The efficiency of these vaccines show it all. The false narrative that the vaccine is supposed to fully protect you has been floating around on social media since the beginning of vaccine distribution. While that is not true, and no one ever said it was, many have believed it because of social media influence. Some users even believe it is not worth getting if it does not fully protect you. Although it may not fully protect you from catching COVID-19, just think of how much it is still protecting us. If you catch COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated, the side effects would not be as harsh on your body as it would on someone unvaccinated. Those antibodies from the vaccine will be working hard to fight that virus out of your system. Studies have shown that adults 65 and older are 94% less likely to be hospitalized if COVID-19 enters their system after being fully vaccinated. If that does not make you jump for joy then I do not know what would. Despite the fact that many of us are not in that age range, just think of how great that number would be for our age group in vaccinated teens.

If you go onto any social media platform such as Tik Tok and Facebook you will see many shared opinions on how the vaccine is nothing but horrible to your body. Comments ranging from infertility all the way to false stories on COVID-19 vaccine related deaths. Unnecessary comments cause unnecessary fear, and many social media users know that and they take advantage of it and continue to spread false narratives to continue to scare other users. The fear that people can cause on social media is a significant reason as to why many people are refusing to get vaccinated. Sadly many of our peers would rather listen to someone on social media who is supporting their opinion with misinformation rather than a trusted scientist. It’s okay to have your own opinion, but don’t try to draw others into the same uneducated opinion with the use of misinformation that you yourself was simple minded enough to believe. That does not help our fight to get rid of this virus.

Many of my Facebook friends have announced their distrust in the COVID-19 vaccines publicly. One person’s comment particularly stood out to me. This person claimed we cannot trust something that hasn’t even had a full year to be produced and ran trials on. She then stated facts that the shortest time frame of a vaccine was the Polio vaccine which was not given to the public until five years after production and trials. Well pardon my skepticism, but we are constantly advancing in science. The Polio vaccine that was created in 1955, this is 2021. You are correct, the long term effects are not known and that is fine. Do you think every vaccine or medical treatment knows its long term effects? If you are so worried about your health and long term effects, how about we look at other things around us that are used everyday. Take for instance screens. We are literally looking at screens all day every day and not even thinking about the long term effects that that could cause. How about earbuds and headphones and how loud volumes with those can damage our ears? These everyday things that we do can be damaging our health and we do not even know it is. So if you are skeptical about a vaccine that is supposed to help you, then maybe you should be very worried about the other things you are doing that you would not even think are damaging your health. Let us also bring up how the long term effects of the virus are nearly not as bad as the actual virus, and what can also linger on after getting COVID-19. If you ask me, I will take my chances of something happening to me with the vaccine instead of getting COVID-19 and being put on a ventilator.

The vaccine is not here to hurt us nor damage us in the future. It was only created to help us and get us back to some type of normalcy. Stop believing in everything that you see on social media. Social media is not your doctor nor a scientist. Do not risk your life or your health by choosing not to be vaccinated. COVID-19 is serious and you do not want to play with it. Get vaccinated, wear your mask, practice social distancing and help save lives.