As of March 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic has been going on for over a year. Fortunately, a significant portion of the population has been able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Read to find out why getting this vaccine is so important to making progress to the world's current circumstances, and why you should sign up to get yours as soon as possible!
Herd Immunity + Its Application to COVID-19
A common term in biology is herd immunity, which is the concept that if an adequate portion of a community develops immunity to a certain infectious disease, it protects the entire community from the disease. For instance, measles is a highly infective disease, and you probably have received the vaccine for it some time in your life! This is because public health experts have stated that if around 93-95% of the population is not at risk for developing measles, the disease itself would not be able to spread through the population as easily. As a result, the community as a whole becomes immune to measles since a significant amount of its members cannot suscept it.
This biological concept can be applied to the current situation of the global pandemic today. Immunity from contagious diseases can often be achieved through vaccination or some other preventive measure. For the COVID-19 vaccine specifically, medical experts have stated that to achieve herd immunity, 80-90% of the public population needs to be vaccinated. Therefore, many, many health professionals today highly encourage for you to sign up to receive the vaccine as soon as possible once the opportunity for you to take the vaccine arrives!
How to Sign Up for the COVID Vaccine
There are many benefits to getting yourself vaccinated. Not only does taking the vaccine significantly lower the chances of you getting COVID-19, but it also prevents you from being severely ill in the rare chance that you do get infected with the virus. Additionally, you will be protecting not only yourself, but others around you as well, especially those who are more at risk for the disease. Lastly, vaccination is a safe way to fight against the pandemic. It will bring an end to this quarantine situation sooner and is the key to getting life back to how it used to be.
Although there are a few mild side effects such as muscle pain, fever, headache, and nausea, this simply means that your body's immune system is working to prepare your body and keep you safe. Some people haven't even gotten side effects, and those that do commonly stop after a few days.
There are priority groups established for those who have an increased risk of contracting COVID, and they are being prioritized to receive their vaccinations first. If you fall into one of these categories, you can start searching for places online to get the vaccine:
Healthcare workers
Long-term care residents
Adults 65 years or older
Employees in the agriculture and food, education and childcare, or emergency services industries
Individuals 16 years and up who are at higher risk due to medical conditions, disabilities, illnesses, living spaces, or work environments
Recently, the vaccination availability has opened up to all adults 50 years and older. Some states are beginning to have it open to the public for people who are 16 years and older. Keep an eye out for these timings so you can schedule an appointment as soon as possible!
Fortunately, getting the COVID-19 vaccine is completely free. This means you can get the vaccine even if you don't have insurance! You can easily sign up to receive one at your local pharmacy, hospital, or doctor's clinic. In the meantime, remember to continue following the community health guidelines until herd immunity is actually achieved. By then, we can all finally see each other again. Stay safe!
Written by: Janice Le
Sources:
“COVID-19 Vaccine Key to Reaching ‘Herd Immunity.’” MU Health Care, www.muhealth.org/our-stories/covid-19-vaccine-key-reaching-herd-immunity.
“Vaccines.” Coronavirus COVID-19 Response, covid19.ca.gov/vaccines.
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