BY: Lashundra Daniels
It is no secret that an unexpected disease known as COVID-19 caused a pandemic around the entire world at the beginning of 2020. It disrupted life as we knew it. Everything changed, and we were forced to stay home or risk catching a disease that unfortunately had no cure. However, all that is surely coming to an end. Recently, three variations of vaccines have become available to the citizens of the U.S. The vaccines are produced by Pfizer-BioNtech, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna.
Although no vaccine has been proved to be completely combative against COVID-19, they all are said to be effective in helping to fight against COVID-19. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires consumers to receive one dose, while the other two vaccines require consumers to get two doses. All three vaccines are free to the public, whether you have insurance or not. They are being distributed via pharmacies such as Walmart, Publix, Sam’s Club, Winn-Dixie and many other mainstream pharmacies around the country. The elderly, essential workers and those who have extreme health issues were amongst the first allowed to get the vaccine.
Recently, colleges have been permitted to administer the vaccines to college students. Amongst those colleges is our very own university. Auburn University at Montgomery began sending out emails to students informing them that they could begin getting their vaccines at the Wellness Center. The invitation was extended to not only the students of the university but also any immediate family members who are 16 or older.
While we have been afforded this opportunity to receive vaccines free of charge, it is important to note that not all students or adults will not take advantage. Why? The answer is simple, but the reasoning behind the answer is rather complex. One of those complex reasons might be because no vaccine has been completely approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA authorized the emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccines, but it has not officially approved the vaccines, which is halting the trust of a lot of citizens. You don’t have to get the vaccine, but a lot of jobs are requiring their employees to get the vaccines before returning to work. You have the option to not return to work if you have strong negative thoughts about the vaccine.
The three variations of the vaccine have allotted a sense of normalcy to many. Restaurants and entertainment centers are opening back up, and people are beginning to travel again. The choice is yours when it comes to determining whether you want to take the vaccine or not, but I encourage you to research all aspects of the vaccine and see how others have taken to it.