If there’s one thing that has become abundantly clear in the war against the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the fact that the quickest way to end this seemingly never-ending nightmare is through mass vaccination. However, not everyone either can get vaccinated, or wants to get vaccinated. More on the former later.

As for the latter, most people who don’t want to get vaccinated don’t want to on the grounds that they feel the vaccines are unsafe, that they’ve been developed too quickly and that no one has any idea of the long-term side effects of the vaccine. No one can say for sure what the long-term side effects of the vaccine are, but the long-term side effects of a continuous cycle of shutdowns and limited reopenings is clear and entirely unsustainable thus the need for mass vaccination.

A common label used for those who don’t want to get vaccinated is “anti-vaxxers”. Personally, I wouldn’t use the term anti-vaxxer. To me, anti-vaxxers are those people who don’t think anyone should be vaccinated.

I also personally have nothing against those who don’t want to get vaccinated so long as they’re not judgemental against those who do. Whether or not you wish to be vaccinated is a personal decision. Just don’t come crying if you end up catching the virus or have to go to the hospital as a result.

I plan to get vaccinated as soon as I’m able, and I don’t care which vaccine I get. I am aware that there are side effects with any drug and I am prepared to take that risk – not because I’m afraid of catching the virus, but because it will help get us back on the path to normalcy. I’m also hopeful that it will make me less contagious should I contract the virus so that I won’t pass it on to those people who are unable to get vaccinated due to health reasons such as people who are at risk of a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine components, or who are have an auto-immune deficiency such as people with HIV or who are undergoing cancer treatment.

Although the World Health Organization says the vaccines have been found to be safe for individuals who have hypertension, diabetes, asthma, pulmonary, or liver or kidney disease that is stable and controlled, those same individuals must weigh the risk of possible side effects from the vaccines against the risk of catching the virus and the serious health issues that could result.

For most, the decision is not as easy as it may seem to an otherwise healthy person. I know some of these people and I feel for them, which is why the best way for me to protect them from the virus is to get vaccinated myself. As for any potential risk, I am more than willing to accept it for the greater common good. If enough people think the same way then we will be able to end the pandemic sooner rather than later.