I started out writing about the highlights of COVID-19 and with each highlight, the outcome was “people need to get vaccinated.” We have the good fortune in this country of access to the vaccine, and yet we still have large numbers of the population not vaccinated. In the beginning it was understandable that people were concerned about the unknowns of the vaccine, but now there are over 2.5 billion people who are vaccinated world-wide. For those of us who understand epidemiology, we know the reason for this dilemma has nothing to do with being rational. For example, people think nothing of hopping in and out of their cars, which runs a much higher risk of injury or dying than being vaccinated. People are uninformed about public health and safety. Don’t we benefit from safe drinking water, uncontaminated medications, and food labels? The solution to many of our problems and confusion about the pandemic would be resolved if people got vaccinated. People from other countries, who do not have the access to vaccines like we do in the U.S., think of our citizens as foolish and privileged. If people cared about others, our society and our future, they would get vaccinated.
The more we read about the dynamics of the virus, there seems to be conflicting and confusing reports. To help clarify what is going on: It’s not that the science is wrong. But rather, the virus is brand new to homo sapiens and it has caused a large-scale crisis worldwide. As with anything new and on such a massive scale, there is a learning curve. Bottom line, we simply have to remember that we are living through a pandemic. Shouldn’t we be grateful that we are among the living? Worldwide – as of this moment – 3.8 million people have died from COVID-19. We are fortunate to have vaccines that are highly effective and are keeping us safe. As I write this, NYS (mid-June) is lifting most of its COVID restrictions because the “70% vaccination benchmark” has been reached (meaning 70% of NY’s population has had one vaccine). But in contrast we are also “crossing the 600,000 milestone” of deaths from COVID in the U.S., which reminds us that the virus is still spreading and that there are still too many people unvaccinated. Let’s address some of the highlights. With all the issues that crop up about COVID, the solution to the problem is prevention from getting ill, which means getting vaccinated:
It makes sense to wear a mask (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/personal-social-activities.html#event):
In my professional opinion, not being vaccinated for COVID-19 (unless contraindicated, of course) is a foolish and selfish decision. Charlotte Michos is a clinical nurse specialist who values personal-centered care and serves as a Healthcare Consultant in helping others make informed decisions. For more information, email her or call (845) 548-5980.
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