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Should I Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?

by Sonia E. Massie, Assistant Professor, Biology


Recently, I was asked for my input about the COVID-19 vaccine by relatives trying to decide whether they would get the vaccine. I thought it might help others if I share my perspective, publicly.


In general, I am pro-vaccine. I think I always have been. Along my journey of obtaining my Master's degree in Microbiology and Immunology, as well as spending years teaching college Microbiology, my pro-vaccine position has been repeatedly reinforced. I know there are many reasons for hesitation and distrust, regarding all vaccines, but none of the concerns negate the fact that vaccines have saved lives and decreased suffering. In the decade leading up to COVID, we have witnessed some diseases, such as measles and whooping cough, making a comeback due to too many people refusing to vaccinate themselves and their children. All of this relates to vaccines, in general, but I will address the COVID vaccine, specifically, since it has some special concerns attached to it.


In a nutshell, the only adults who I think should even consider not getting the COVID vaccine are those with severe allergies or prohibitive religious beliefs. If enough of the rest of us get the vaccine, then we are moving toward possible herd immunity, which could potentially protect those adults and, for now, all children. Eventually, children should be able to get the vaccine, too.


One concern people have is how quickly the COVID-19 vaccine was invented. However, it is important to realize that:

1. similar viruses have been studied for years, such as SARS,

2. the mRNA vaccine concept had already been under investigation for a while, and

3. literally MILLIONS of dollars and almost ALL of the research focus went into solving this problem.


The vaccine itself has zero virus in it. Both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA vaccines, meaning they have the code for a protein, a viral protein. This mRNA will be "read" by our body's protein-making machinery the same way we "read" our own mRNA. However, instead of making a human protein, we will produce a viral protein. While our body will not recognize the mRNA as foreign, it will (or should, that's the goal) recognize the viral protein as foreign. This means our immune system will now begin to mount an immune response against the viral protein. The second dose ramps up those efforts. The virus needs that protein as part of its invasion mechanism. So, if we are exposed to the virus after the vaccine gives us immunity, we are better equipped to fight off the virus.


I absolutely recommend that you get the COVID vaccine. In weighing pros and cons, you should also be aware of the possibility that we may all end up needing seasonal COVID vaccines, if it is determined that the virus mutates enough for a different version of the vaccine to be needed each year, like with the flu vaccine. As with any vaccine, the COVID vaccine can cause side effects. Typically, this is because you are experiencing your own immune system building up protective factors against what was in the vaccine. That is great news! That was the goal! This is why side effects are usually worse after the second dose because, like I mentioned above, your immune response is ramping up even further.


I cannot promise you that no one will experience more serious side effects from the vaccine, but I can assure you that, without the vaccine, your chance of suffering and/or dying from contracting COVID-19 is significantly greater than your chance of suffering and/or dying from the vaccine. As with the many vaccines that have come before it, such as smallpox, measles, and polio vaccines, the COVID vaccine has the potential to significantly decrease the number of illnesses and deaths caused by this relentless virus. Another plus is the COVID vaccine can provide us with a way out of the disruption caused by the ongoing pandemic.


Please, get the COVID-19 vaccine. The benefits outweigh the risks.

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