Army Spc. Angel Laureano holds a vial of the COVID-19 vaccine, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., Dec. 14, 2020. (DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando)

Countering the Anti-Vaxxer

It would be nice to make the assumption that as more people have been getting the vaccine, more people have also been less opposed to the idea of vaccines in general. However, this isn’t true, as the number of anti vaxxers in the world is still very high. According to Merriam-Webster, 

an anti vaxxer is “a person who opposes vaccination or laws that mandate vaccination.” While there have always been people hesitant to use vaccines, the number has only grown since COVID-19, and a large reason for that is because of the misinformation spread by anti vaxxers online with inaccurate statistics and data on the effects of vaccines. This misinformation causes problems because it results in less people getting vaccines and the virus not being properly dealt with. 

The truth is that getting vaccines is actually very important. Viruses like COVID-19 can have devastating effects. Since its introduction, millions of people around the world have died, and thousands have died in Maryland alone. Those who have recovered have had to struggle through the harsh symptoms of the virus. With the introduction of the vaccines comes an opportunity to save many lives, which is why it’s hard to believe that so many people are against them. The more people that get the vaccine, the sooner we’ll all be able to get back to in person activities in a safe environment. This doesn’t only stand true for the COVID-19 vaccine, but also for vaccines in general. It’s why most people get the flu vaccine annually—to not only keep others safe, but to stay safe themselves. When presented with the chance to not contract a virus or disease, it doesn’t make sense not to take it. However, a surprising amount of people don’t. 

There are many arguments used by anti vaxxers. They range from claims about vaccines causing autism and the Center of Disease Control lying about how effective they are, to claims about vaccines actually being the ones making people sick. All of the above have been disproven. The arguments that people use most often these days are that the side effects of vaccines are too unpredictable and worse than the vaccine itself. While it’s true that there are side effects of getting certain vaccines such as the one for COVID-19, the main side effects include soreness, fatigue, and headaches, and the results of getting COVID-19 are much worse. Also, according to the AARP, side effects are a sign of the vaccine working, and are not uncommon. There have already been many people who have gotten the vaccine and have recovered. It is understandable to be nervous about the side effects, however, as mentioned before, they aren’t uncommon and aren’t as bad as having the virus itself. As for the other arguments used, they have already been proven incorrect. 

With the state of COVID-19 in the world and even in just America, it is more important than ever that people get the vaccine and stay safe. People need to look at the proper sources and avoid misinformation by anti vaxxers. They need to stay safe and stay home. Receiving the vaccine will not only help protect you, but will also help protect others and get us back to in person activities as soon as is safely possible. 

Article by Esther Markov of Walter Johnson High School

Photo Courtesy of US Secretary of Defense via Wikimedia Commons

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