In early 2020, SARS-CoV-2 was identified as a new type of coronavirus by the World Health Organization. This virus spread from country to country, and the world is still being affected by the virus in December of 2021. To slow the spread of COVID-19, vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson  were created. Many people were, and are still, hesitant to get vaccinated 

In order for life to go back to normal, it is vital for everyone to get vaccinated. Those who choose to remain unvaccinated are not only endangering themselves, but everyone around them. 

There are more unvaccinated individuals that have died than those who were vaccinated across all age groups. According to data collected from mid-January to October, around 85% of deaths due to COVID-19 were made up of unvaccinated people. More than half of the deaths among those who were vaccinated were older than 75, the most vulnerable age group. As of October 30, 2021, the COVID-related hospitalization rate was 8 times higher in people who have not gotten the vaccine. People that are fully vaccinated can still get infected due to the fact that no vaccine is 100% effective, but that risk is small.  One big factor that causes the way people think negatively about the vaccine is the amount of time that it took for it to get released. As stated by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, there are hundreds of other coronaviruses and scientists have been studying them for more than 50 years. Therefore, there was already known information about the structure, life cycle, and genome of that type of virus. The high percentage of COVID-related deaths among unvaccinated individuals proves that the vaccine is, in fact, effective.

COVID-19 is extremely dangerous and unpredictable, and I have experienced that first hand. Before any vaccine was released, my family had been exposed to coronavirus by another family member. Thankfully, my brother, sister, and I weren’t affected that badly. My sister, who was 3 at the time, had no symptoms. My brother and I only had a headache and a fever. However, my mother and father felt really sick. They had fevers, nausea, minor chest pain, sore throats, hard coughs, felt dizzy and out of breath, and lost their sense of taste and smell. At some point, my father had to go to the hospital because he was having trouble breathing. My parents were still affected for months, even after testing negative. Before we got infected, my dad worked as a truck driver, but he was so physically affected that he had to change jobs so he could work from home. This is something that I hope no one else ever has to go through. 

With that said, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are 95% and 94.1% effective, respectively. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is less effective than the other two vaccines with an effectiveness rate of 66.3%. To protect individuals and their families, getting vaccinated is something that they should definitely do. No one wants to see their loved ones suffer. 

Not only is the vaccine effective, it is also safe. Like with any other vaccine, after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, side effects usually happen within 6 weeks. As claimed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), long lasting side effects are very unlikely. It is more dangerous to stay unvaccinated than the actual vaccine. Only two serious types of health problems have occured after vaccination, and they are both extremely rare. One is anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction. However, that can happen after any vaccination, not only the COVID-19 vaccine. The other is Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), which causes blood clots, and it has only occurred among people who got the J&J vaccine. This risk has not been seen with the other vaccines, so this can be completely avoided. Overall, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks.

If people are worried about getting COVID-19, decreasing the risk of getting infected can be done easily by getting vaccinated. Everyone 5 years and older is eligible to, and should, get the vaccine. People 18 and older that have been vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines should also get the booster shot 6 months after they have been fully vaccinated. 

Coronavirus has been affecting our lives for way too long. Getting vaccinated is necessary so that we can start living normally again without having to worry about the chance of getting infected.