In Focus

There are many mixed emotions about the new COVID-19 vaccine.

Many are elated to finally have a way to combat this virus and hopefully get back to a normal routine. Others are cautious, feeling the vaccine may be rushed and under-tested.

I get the fear. Having Crohn’s disease and being immunocompromised, I have taken more vaccines than I ever have before. If my doctor tells me I need to take this vaccine, I probably will, but only if she gives me the okay.

From what I have read this vaccine has been tested on a typical adult. It hasn’t been tested on children or pregnant women yet. I haven’t seen any information on it being tested on people with other health conditions, such as mine.

I am cautious. I would like to know if it is okay for people like me to take with the medications I am on. This is very new and we don’t know what the potential long term effects could be. There are still many questions. But if the majority of healthy people can take the vaccine, that will still help the people like me with underlying health conditions that may not be able to get vaccinated or may not be able to for some time yet.

I am relieved there is finally a way to fight COVID-19. While it will still take time to get the vaccine manufactured and distributed, it is a good sign that this can hopefully come to an end sometime in the near future.

I haven’t heard much from the anti-vaxxers since the pandemic began. We didn’t have a vaccine when this all started, had to endure shutdowns and mask mandates and many lives were lost...and now we have a vaccine.

While it’s a lot to take in, and there’s more we need to learn about the vaccine, I believe this could be the beginning of the end of COVID-19.