Recently I was shocked by a good friend who said she was leery of getting the Covid-19 vaccine because she didn\u2019t \u201ctrust the government.\u201d She went on to mention that she didn\u2019t get flu shots either. She was the second friend to question getting the shots; both are intelligent and reasonable people.<\/p>\n
My friend\u2019s reluctance to seek out the \u201cjab\u201d strikes me as just plain wrong. Most of us were delighted and relieved to get the vaccine in view of how the pandemic threatened us and savaged the population with over a half million deaths to date. I just don\u2019t get it.<\/p>\n
I understand that it is prudent to be careful and that we are free to make our own decisions. But to eschew the vaccines in this case flies in the face of common sense as well as scientific evidence. Are we not to trust anyone\u2014the government, pharmaceutical companies, the medical authorities? What evidence exists that contradicts our taking this vaccine?<\/p>\n
I know about the anti-vaxxers, and I am aware that some minorities have been abused and don\u2019t trust authorities in general. I also know that the government sometimes makes mistakes. The previous administration\u2019s failure to take the pandemic seriously and its discouragement of precautions such as wearing masks seriously undermined both the urgency and confidence in taking vaccines. The result was that many people died needlessly.<\/p>\n
Ever since 1796 when Edward Jenner pioneered vaccines by inoculating young 8-year-old James Phipps for smallpox, humanity has been the beneficiary of vaccines which have saved countless lives. Beginning in childhood, we get numerous inoculations, including smallpox and polio. History and statistics show that these vaccines have been enormously effective in preventing illness and saving lives. Yet if you believe recent polls, something like 50% of Republicans say that they will not get the vaccine.<\/p>\n