I took the COVID-19 vaccine, and you should too

Last week, I was one of the first in Tampa Bay — and the world, for that matter — to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Being first can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about both the speed of vaccine development and new use of mRNA technology, but after research, discussion with respected colleagues and weighing the risks (that I have witnessed firsthand), the decision became obvious.Since March, my colleagues and I have been on the frontlines of caring for COVID-19 patients. I have seen the toll the virus takes on the body, even in the young and healthy. I have communicated with families who cannot be with their loved ones, even for their deaths. And I have been a part of the difficult rehabilitation for those who have survived, but whose bodies may never fully recover from the damage left behind.As an internist and a pediatrician, I have dealt with anti-vaccine rationale for both adults and children. From dislike of injecting “chemicals,” to disagreement on vaccination schedules for children, to “it makes me get the flu,” I have heard it all. But the hesitancy for this particular vaccine is a bit different.Back in May, 27 percent of Americans surveyed by Pew said they would either “probably” or “definitely” not get a COVID-19 vaccine. By November, that number increased to 39 percent. Among those who said they definitely would not participate in a vaccination regime, the number climbed from 11 percent to 18 percent. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the portion of the population who said they planned to get the vaccine fell from 72 percent to 60 percent over the same time period.Most survey respondents were concerned with potential adverse events and vaccine efficacy. The vaccines have undergone multiple trials: Pfizer’s was a 44,000-person trial and Moderna’s was a 30,000-person trial. These are typically sized trials compared to previous vaccines. The only difference is that the follow-up is much shorter. Unfortunately in light of the current pandemic, it is not feasible or logical to wait to distribute vaccines. Vaccine efficacy in the Pfizer and Moderna trials were both over 90 percent. By comparison, the shingles vaccine is also over 90 percent effective and last year’s influenza vaccine was 40 percent effective (which was thought to be worse than usual).There are also suspicions in communities of color based on long-term systemic racial disparities in health care and historical medical abuses of minority patients. However this pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color. The virus will continue to decimate Black and brown communities if it goes unchecked.In order to achieve herd immunity, approximately 60 to 70 percent of a population should have sufficient antibodies. The required vaccination rate for true herd immunity, however, is a bit higher because no vaccine is 100 percent effective. Thus in order for this to be achieved, the majority of the population must be vaccinated.We have not achieved herd immunity through a natural disease process to most major infectious diseases. Without a vaccine, in order to achieve this with COVID-19, hundreds of millions of people would have to contract the virus and an untold number of people would needlessly die. This vaccine, along with continued mask wearing and social distancing, can blunt the curve.In the end, there are no risk-free choices. A choice not to get a vaccine is not a risk-free choice - it’s a choice to take a different and more serious risk of getting infected from the virus itself. I chose to protect myself, and in turn my patients, by getting the vaccine. And I hope you will too. Minal Ahson is an assistant professor at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and a physician on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis here in Tampa Bay.

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