By Matthew Weidler
COVID-19 has now been around for over a year in the world, and as we approach the one year mark of it entering the country, it seems we finally have some positive news regarding the virus. Or so it seems. The COVID-19 vaccine is now available.
But even though this virus has devastated our country for so long, some people are still reluctant to get the vaccine.
The main reluctance to taking the vaccine comes from people not trusting it due in part to how quickly it was discovered and manufactured. According to an NC state data chart, it could take 5-10 years to develop a vaccine traditionally and the fact that we have this vaccine so fast is amazing. While it does seem hard to believe, experts say that the reason for this is because the entire world is working on it together.
Shortly after the Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, 39% of Americans (out of 12,648 surveyed) said they would either definitely not or probably not get the vaccine. However, this number has been steadily rising as more and more people receive the vaccination safely.
There have been made up stories and rumors about people dying and losing body parts from the vaccine, but now that we have seen many prominent figures, including President Joe Biden take the vaccine, these are being put too rest.
But people refusing to take the vaccine can prove to be a huge issue. Eventually places will need to require the vaccine especially indoor restaurants and stores. This could lead to further division in our already deeply divided country.
This will also be an issue with travel. While the COVID-19 vaccine isn’t necessary to fly yet, some high-risk nations already require specific immunizations to enter the country and could add COVID-19 vaccination to the list.
