Whenever a new technology comes out there is a portion of the population that is absolutely against it. Not because it has proven to be ineffective or unsafe, but because it is scary. A lack of information about something can be easily filled with dreams or nightmares in our imagination. This isn’t the first new technology to have that accusation.
I remember when UPC codes started being used when I was little. Some people were afraid of them. My Dad carefully explained to me how the codes worked and my fear was dissipated. The first numbers are the manufacturer and the last ones are the product number. It’s basically just an organizational numbering system for products at the grocery store. But, because it used a laser and had mysterious lines that people didn’t understand, some people imagined all kinds of things as it triggered their wildest fears. Now everyone uses scanners from the library to the US mail.
The COVID-19 Pandemic came upon us fast and these vaccines showed up quickly too, but let’s remember that this is not our first major disease in the US.
America had a major polio outbreak in the mid-20th century. People weren’t sure how it spread—maybe swimming pools? Young people were being killed, crippled and put into iron lungs. In the peak year of 1952, there were nearly 53,000 new cases throughout America; 3,000 were fatal, and 21,000 left their victims paralyzed. Jonas Salk developed his vaccine in 1953, and in 1955 a national inoculation campaign began. By the 1960s, the recurring epidemics were 97 percent gone. First vaccine wasn’t perfect, a bad batch injured 200 and killed ten. A safer, oral version was developed in 1962 and polio was basically eradicated from the United States.
The decision to take or not take the Covid-19 vaccine is luckily ours to make. It makes sense to be cautious and read up on the technology and testing. What doesn’t help is to listen to folks that let fear overshadow observation and reason. More than 1 billion doses have been administered across 172 countries, (according to Bloomberg). It is our best chance at slowing the pandemic and if you have the opportunity to get vaccinated, I hope you will not be stopped by fear.
