According to the CDC, over 290 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been distributed all over the country. Many people within the United States have taken advantage of their opportunities to get vaccinated, while others have felt nervous. The fast-paced creation of new medicine leaves many US citizens scared of the long-term effects of these vaccines, preventing them from making appointments to get vaccinated.
Only a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, trials began for new vaccines. The quick production of modern medicine left many open questions regarding its effects since it had taken less than a year to develop. Many people were nervous about what these effects could be. Lanie Williams is one of those people.
Williams, an alum from SUNY Brockport, is someone who has expressed concerns surrounding the new vaccines and has been nervous about scheduling an appointment now that she is eligible.
“I don’t feel comfortable being the guinea pig to a brand-new medicine not knowing the long-term effects,” says Williams.
Although eligibility for vaccine distribution has opened up for almost everyone in New York state, many questions about side effects, especially in the long run, have held people back.
“I’m all on board for people starting to get it, just not me yet. Especially as a young woman who wants to give birth one day, I’m nervous about how it will affect people,” Williams added.
Although there seems to be a lot of unknown information about the long-term effects, people are still consistently signing up to get their vaccine to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. With three new “brands” of the vaccine- Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson- there are many vaccinations to go around throughout the state. Jessica Trutt is one of these people, getting vaccinated to make the world feel safer.
Trutt is a student at SUNY Brockport, who currently has gotten one dose of the Moderna shot. She shared her opinions on why she was so excited to get the vaccine.
“I felt comfortable getting it just very recently and want to do what I can to keep myself and others safe,” Trutt shared.
With those who are able to get the vaccine and have successfully done so, there have been many different reactions. Side effects show differently in different people, proving that the list of side effects can be inconsistent. There are many myths of immediate side effects after either the first, second, or both doses of any given vaccine that mimic what COVID-19 may really be like.
Amanda Mazikas, a sophomore at SUNY Brockport, is someone who experienced some of these immediate side effects. She shares her experience with side effects after her second dose of the Moderna vaccine.
“On the second dose, I got a headache, chills, muscle/joint pain, nausea and fatigue,” says Mazikas.
Mazikas went on to explain that she never had COVID, which made her believe that’s why the second vaccine seemed worse than the first. For others who did have the virus earlier in the past year or so, they expect to experience the first dose worse over the second.
Now that announcements have been made saying that anyone in the country can sign up for appointments, more people will be able to get the vaccine. Many people have already done their part in getting vaccinated, but it is up to the rest of the country to join them. Regardless of questions about possible long term effects, people who have already experienced the vaccination process prove how important it can be to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
