COVID-19 vaccines became available for everyone 16+ as of April 19, and everyone should use this opportunity.

Before now, the shot was only accessible to essential workers.

There has been controversy about whether people should get vaccinated or not. One reason is that it was created in such a short amount of time.

Money and resources were two big contributors to the vaccine being produced.

With the urgency of finding a cure, lots of money was spent to find a solution. The technology that was used to form the vaccine already existed; hard work and time just had to be applied.

Heathline, a website that provides health information, reported that researchers around the world worked on the vaccine for several months. It took months to review the data collected and perform trials.

Lynlee Burton, head of Center for Vaccines at PRA Health Sciences, was quoted on the site: “There are so many people who have worked so hard that we don’t always know about,”

People should not have any doubts about getting the vaccine because it has been tested and researched thoroughly.

According to Yale Medicine, the Pfizer vaccine has an efficacy rate of 95% in preventing COVID-19 symptoms in those who have yet to contract the virus. The Moderna vaccine has a 94.1% efficacy rate.

Although a person that is vaccinated can still get sick, the severity of symptoms are low and the chances of getting admitted into a hospital is low.

Getting vaccinated will help slow down the spread of the virus because it prevents others around us from getting infected.

ThebCenters for Disease Control and Prevention reported that none of the vaccines that are available contain the live virus of COVID-19.

According to the CDC website, “COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Sometimes this process can cause symptoms, such as fever.”

After getting the vaccine, there are short-term symptoms such as headaches, chills, muscle aches, drowsiness and fatigue. These minor symptoms are definitely more acceptable than risking one’s life to a deadly virus.

Getting vaccinated is an opportunity and privilege that everyone should take. Not only does it keep one safe, but it also keeps others around them safe.