COVID-19 is still very relevant, despite the discontinued mandates. Boosters are the answer to continued protection.
All around us, there are arguments why we shouldn’t try to pursue a policy of vaccination and maintaining booster shots for COVID-19. For starters, COVID is a disease that has critically affected the population. More than 3.5 million people in the U.S. alone have died from COVID, and even more have been infected, so it is a prevalent problem. Those reading this article have more than likely contracted COVID at least once or twice in the years it’s been around. Despite these circumstances, the U.S. did not follow through with many COVID regulations beyond an initial quarantine and halfhearted mask mandates. Even now, most if not all regulations have been discontinued for almost a year. However, despite being surrounded by an environment that almost discourages COVID vaccination, it is still an important responsibility to stay vaccinated and protected not only for your sake, but for others.
Unfortunately, the threat of COVID is still noticeable. According to the latest map and case count as reported by the New York Times, the cases have recently dropped over the summer and are at the lowest for this year. It makes sense as to why there is no desire to change lifestyles. However, upon closer inspection of the data, if the case rate mirrors that of last year, then by winter there should be a dramatic increase in positive case results. Last year, there was a recession of cases over the summer that heralded record-level infection rates in many different areas in the country.
Yes, there have been concerns about the side effects of COVID vaccines and it is still an ongoing process. But there are now vaccines which are fully approved by the FDA that people can receive in response to COVID if they haven’t already. I’m not advocating for blind trust in vaccines, so it is still a sensible idea to research the different vaccine options and ensure that the vaccine you choose works best for you with the least side effects.
Hopefully, by acknowledging the need to vaccinate is similar to the need to be hygienic, then the psychological barrier might be that much less. Much like regular brushing or regular showering contributes to your hygiene or how regular pet vaccinations contribute to theirs, getting regular vaccination against diseases, including one as prevalent as COVID, should be a no-brainer.
It’s still strange how quickly most, if not all, health measures were rolled back once they became optional. Although masks have become a less frequent phenomenon here in the states, they remain relevant. Even if people don’t social distance in their daily routine anymore, there needs to be some form of precaution that substitutes the protection that it would have provided. The demand has not changed for necessary precautions; we have only set ourselves lower standards.
At the core, enough people need to take a vaccine or change their lifestyle for everybody to benefit from collective immunity against the disease, so the need still remains for as many people to get the vaccine as possible. If people are against receiving the vaccine, they could simply change their lifestyle and begin adhering to COVID safety measures. Just because COVID is relevant doesn’t mean that vaccination is the only way. As long as there is some form of precaution, whether it be vaccines or good practices, we can be better protected against these health threats.
