As you enter college you, for the first time, will get to make decisions for yourself. You get to decide your schedule and what you do on a daily basis as you stray away from home for the first time alone.
Making your own decisions comes with a great deal of responsibility, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. You as a young adult will get to decide if you will or will not receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
This vaccine is important so here are a few tips to help you make a decision about getting the immunization.
If you are skeptical about getting the vaccine, do your research. In the U.S. there are now three different vaccines you can receive, Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.
Each vaccine grants protection from severe illnesses associated with COVID-19. If you have friends that have received a vaccination ask them why they did it and how it felt, you can use their experience to help you decide what to do.
If you have trypanophobia, also known as the fear of needles or injections, let me tell you how the shot felt. If you have ever received a flu shot you know that it is uncomfortable, but not very painful.
The COVID-19 vaccination was about half of the discomfort of a flu shot and was not bad at all. You can’t get over your fear overnight so if you’d like to get vaccinated, ask a friend to go with you, it may ease your anxiety and you will have someone to hold your hand if you need it.
Find out where you can receive the vaccine. Once you have made the decision that you would like to be vaccinated, register or get on a waiting list. Students in Kingsville have been given the opportunity to sign up and get vaccinated, an opportunity not many cities are offering their students, so if you can – go!
Getting the majority of the population vaccinated is the only way life will return to normal and end this pandemic. If provided the opportunity, get the immunization.
The CDC now says fully vaccinated people can gather mask-less around other fully vaccinated people. Let the idea of hugging and seeing your friends and family or visiting your grandparents motivate you to get vaccinated. Remember you can help end this pandemic, so do your part, and get your shot.