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So far, 1.8 million people died because of COVID-19 world-wide. The global economy is in jeopardy. The virus has turned our lives upside down in all kinds of ways. This is not some sort of flu. Sitting back is not an option. Forces are joined to find an effective solution. In this article I will try to explain why I am getting vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible. I am hoping to dispel any biases or hesitations people may have about vaccination against the new Coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
As a travel enthusiast, I dream about being able to travel again. Where do you dream about, to be able to do once we can go back to normal?
Solution
Everyone who cares about themselves and/or others, tries to avoid getting infected with COVID-19, right?! No healthy mind in the world who wants to get ill or die voluntarily. We want to go back to normal again and not be afraid of this virus all the time. I join the medical and scientific world in saying that vaccination will be an essential part of the solution to beat COVID-19.
Sure, living a healthy lifestyle and hygiene measures like washing hands are also part of that solution. In almost all cases of disease spread, hygiene plays an important role in limiting the risk of contamination and spread, also with COVID-19. Minimize exposure, maximize immunity. Would you rather put up with a fight with a trained or an untrained body? I’d rather have my body trained, and a vaccine does that.
I think many people in the Western world underestimate the value of vaccination, how many lives have been saved by vaccines and they still save. People seem to have forgotten that vaccination is an effective solution and actually a privilege. Vaccination is not a punishment. Many people simply do not understand how vaccination works. Or do not trust their government or the pharma industry? And therefore doubt, fear or refuse to consider COVID-19 vaccination?
Happy New Year! My New Year’s Resolution is to get vaccinated against COVID-19. What’s yours?
Critical
I don’t know how it is in your country, but in The Netherlands there are quite some people hesitant to take the COVID-19 vaccine. More hesitant than in neighboring European countries like Germany and the UK. Only the French on average tend to be more sceptical than the Dutch. This has to do with culture and is fed by social media and anti-vacine movements. Dutch people tend to be critical of authority anyway.
I guess the attitude of the 60s, when hippies felt proud of kicking against the government and not accepting authority too easily, stuck around.
Often it is a matter of good arguments and education. Trust takes longer than science I guess. Once the COVID-19 vaccine will become available for the first group of people next week, it will probably take at least a year to get everyone vaccinated in The Netherlands, Health officials say. Hopefully this article helps to convince more people to vaccinate against COVID-19, whenever is their turn.
Pharma
Being somewhat critical is good, but in an honest, educated way. Next to being a travel blogger, I am part of the pharma business. And I am not ashamed to say so. I do realize that many people do not have a positive impression or opinion of pharma. I cannot justify any mistakes that companies and people in my industry made in the past. There are bad boys everywhere. Knowing this about me might even cause some people to distrust me. Or I might even lose followers or readers as a result? Let it be.
What I want to say is: there are also many heroes working in pharma and healthcare. Heroes who, as far as I am concerned, remain far too underexposed and deserve much more society’s respect. Every day I see with my own eyes how much we invest to improve the health of both people and animals around the world. Honestly, I work tremendously hard to support that vision. It is my, together with many colleagues and people working in the pharma industry, passion to be part of, innovate and provide effective healthcare solutions. Nothing less.
In perspective
Many people seem to care only about how much money is made in the pharmaceutical industry. What is that, jealousy? Without that money, pharma would not be able to achieve such development so quickly and professionally. Don’t forget that a company that develops and markets a product like a COVID-19 vaccine, invests an enormous amount of time, money and people to get it done a.s.a.p. For the benefit of our health.
Such product launches are under a huge magnifying glass, the world is watching, with all the associated risks. A company like that is really not going to risk its reputation and investment with a lousy product. That product must meet an extremely high number of conditions before authorities approve it for public use. As we would say in Dutch: they put their balls on the chopping block with such a project. I have respect for that.
I am very thankful for the scientists who found and developed the vaccine against COVID-19. Thankful for the professors who show unbridled commitment to explain to people the virus and the benefits of vaccination. And thankful for the doctors, nurses and all other healthcare workers who put their own lives at risk in the fight against this virus and to save peoples’ lives.
Vaccination
I am not a doctor or a scientist myself, but I am responsible for animal vaccinations in my daily job. So I know something about vaccines. No, I do not work with one of the COVID-19 vaccine producing companies. My professional background did teach me to differentiate proper scientific based reasoning and proof from nonsense.
I very much trust and believe in science and the power of vaccination to prevent both humans and animals against serious diseases. Simply because so much scientific evidence shows that vaccination works.
I don’t want to join that group of victims who lost the fight against COVID-19, do you? Let’s do what we can to protect our lives and health and that of others against this virus. Prevention works. Vaccination trains our immunity system to beat a virus, like the new SARS-COV-2, the Coronavirus that causes COVID-19. I think that the number of people in IC’s and the deaths caused by COVID-19 has shown that it is a tricky game to expect our bodies to cope with the Coronavirus on it’s own. I would not want to risk it. We need to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to help our immune system. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shows 95% efficacy.
I truly hope many people will join me in choosing to be part of the solution. I will get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible. Can hardly wait!
I hope this article will help you to find the right balance between the risks of getting vaccinated vs. the risk to get ill and/or killed by COVID-19 e right choice – for yourself and your loved ones. Whenever will be your turn.
For additional information about COVID-19 vaccination check out the page Coronavirus vaccination: answers to questions you may have.
Exceptions
I do realize that some people will not be able to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The question is: will that mean that immuno-compromised people and other people who couldn’t get the vaccine for genuine reasons, will not be allowed to travel any more? Hm, that won’t be fair, now would it?
I trust that there will be solutions for that in the form of exemptions. Excemptions for people who genuinely can’t have the vaccine based on medical background. When pregnant, you might have to wait until the baby is born and no longer on breast feeding. Please consult your GP.
COVID-19 and travel
Read more about this topic in the following articles:
- How COVID-19 turned my promising Iceland trip into an odd soap opera
- Do we need COVID-19 vaccination to travel in 2021?
- To travel or not to travel? Corona and other disasters lead to travel dilemma
- Corona: can I go on holidays this summer or book a trip for later this year?
- Flight cancelled, airline voucher, refund and other travel hassle due to COVID-19
No-one asked me to write this article. This is my own (funded) opinion. The disclaimer of this website is applicable.
Last Updated on 02/19/2021 by Elisa Flitter Fever
