To vaccinate or not, that is the question.
The year 2020 is one that needs no introduction and will live forever in infamy.
As we look back over it all, it was a year that affected everyone differently. Some of us may have experienced the coronavirus firsthand, while many of us were not affected at all. Either way, it is probably safe to say we will all remember 2020 as a year of wearing masks, having the entire family under one roof 24/7 and one without concerts and sporting events.
So, after going through all of that, isn’t vaccination a no-brainer? Maybe, but many of us have questions and that is okay. Before launching Trek CBD in 2019, I spent 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry and had questions of my own.
As I write this article, about half of the country has been fully vaccinated. Let us dive into a few questions that you might have.
How is it possible to get this many vaccines approved so quickly?
In short, it was not our first rodeo with coronaviruses. Before C-19 there was SARS, MERS and hundreds of other coronaviruses that scientists have been working on for years.
The biggest game changer of all, however, was the urgency. Dozens of countries, non-profits, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies all working toward a common goal with unprecedented urgency and monies. Because of all that, the DNA genome for C-19 was mapped within two weeks. This allowed teams to focus on more appropriate candidates versus wasting time on candidates that might not work out.
Is it safe; did they cut corners during the clinical trials?
Clinical trials follow a three-phase approach that begins in the lab with the discovery of the vaccine candidate and then moves into various populations for testing. Finding the appropriate volunteers for clinical trials can be the most difficult part and can take months, if not years. The timeline was accelerated by an abundant number of volunteers and allowed clinical trials to begin quickly. Human safety was a priority and protocols were not compromised. In the end, these vaccines were studied in larger patient populations than many of the approved pharmaceuticals on the market today.
The FDA and other governmental agencies made this a priority and reviewed data and made decisions rapidly. Imagine going to the DMV and everyone there just focusing on you. You’d be in and out in no time!
How much does it cost and what are the side effects?
At the end of the day, billions will be invested by private and public sources to develop, manufacture, and roll out the vaccines. However, the virus’s cost to human life, and toll on the global economy and our emotional wellbeing, are greater.
After getting vaccinated, you might have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. Common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling in the arm where you received the shot, as well as tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea throughout the rest of the body. These side effects could affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.
Will it make a difference if I am not vaccinated when everyone else is?
It is a fair question, except if you are a virus. Viruses need a host (the unvaccinated) to thrive and often those who are unvaccinated can become a breeding ground for new variants. These new variants can potentially make the current vaccines ineffective and put others at risk.
This is, of course, what supports the idea of “herd immunity.” When the community is largely vaccinated, the virus has fewer places to go.
I decided to get vaccinated and, as a small business owner, I was concerned about potentially missing work for a couple of days if I experienced flu-like symptoms. In the end, my arm hurt both times, but I had no other symptoms.
The decision to vaccinate or not is not easy and if you’re still on the fence, I hope this article helped clarify a few things.
This article is an opinion piece about the vaccine, and is not an attempt to ask anyone to vaccinate or not vaccinate.
