Dear Editor,
It’s no surprise that persons are questioning the new vaccines. After all, it’s human nature to question the unknown. I remember many years ago when Facebook and WhatsApp started, the older folks and even the religious society said it was the mark of the beast and thus began to question these platforms.
However, ten years later and they are the media of choice to get the message of Christ out. This proves that given time and information people will come around! Therefore, the reasons people aren’t being vaccinated should be noted and addressed.
One of the biggest reasons people aren’t taking the jab is fear. Whether we like it or not, bad news sells. If we compare the number of persons who watch uplifting stories about COVID-19 to those who have watched the doom and gloom videos; the winner will surely be doom and gloom.
The side effects of taking the jab are playing on the minds of many people. Some fears expressed by the people of this nation are: “me na tek um me need fi have children”, “them go trigger a chip” and “it go make me bleed to death”. Fear impacts our thinking and decision-making in negative ways which leaves us susceptible to intense emotions and impulsive reactions.
To lessen the irrational decisions, leaders should keep addressing all elements that fuel the fear. One plausible solution is to have persons who have had pleasant experiences share in [official] public spaces.
Another reason why persons aren’t taking the jab is as a result of deleterious journalism and rumors. Currently circulating on social media is a misleading article about the new guidelines given to vaccinated persons.
The article painted a picture that vaccinated persons are the ones mainly spreading the delta variant. When in fact the CDC simply said that vaccinated persons who become infected can spread the virus. One would think that is common sense right? However, what this article failed to mention is that CDC said that over 90% of persons hospitalized were unvaccinated.
Despite this phenomenal information, some journalists choose to run the news that feeds the fear of being vaccinated. Why? It sells more. Antiguans love a mix up so rumors will always spread. It was rather disappointing to me that persons were spreading rumors about persons being killed by vaccines. It begs the question of how they know that it killed the persons? Just because they took it? “There are two vaccinated persons who died and of course the vaccine kill them” is the word on the street. However, this was furthest from the truth! One died from diabetes and the other because of his heart. In that space of time, I lost my godfather, a mentor (to the virus), and two other members of church all of whom were unvaccinated. F
urthermore, we need to stop acting like taking the vaccine is a death sentence and/or that it is a cure. We need consistency and accuracy in reporting and accountability on the part of citizens where the sharing of false information is concerned.
Aside from pernicious journalism, there is also the idea that vaccines are the cure. Vaccines aren’t cures or an immediate fix. Our society needs to understand that the vaccines aid in a fight and doesn’t win the war. It’s rather ludacris that we compare a vaccine that has been here for at least 30 years to something that has been newly released. If persons go on to the UK government website and look at measles throughout the years, we would have a better understanding. The introduction of the vaccine dramatically reduced the number of recorded infections and deaths but it didn’t happen overnight. The more persons that were vaccinated the less deaths were recorded. In fact, the last time deaths were above 10 in the UK was 1988. The measles vaccine was made available in 1963. The country had registered deaths of 127 that year. It was only after the year 1969 were deaths below 50. It should be noted that in 2016 there was a rise in cases in the UK and a reduction in the number of persons who took the MMR vaccine.
This simple correlation suggests that the more persons are vaccinated, the less persons would need to seek medical attention. Now being vaccinated doesn’t stop infections but it may reduce the spread, it may reduce the number of persons who show symptoms and it may reduce the level of sickness because more people had little soldiers that could identify the enemy. Therefore, less persons seek and need treatment at the hospital and that is where we need to be.
We all need to fight this virus but don’t let the negative over take you. It is still advisable to follow your mind and not let anyone else choose for you. If your mind says yes then do it, if your mind says not this one but take the other one then do it.
If your mind says no it’s not good for you then don’t. Do yourself a favor and stay away from negative talks and articles and consult your Healthcare provider. Let me end by saying Black people are the least vaccinated race and the least likely to take one so is the vaccine target really you?
Observer
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Great article. We need more of this
Did you actually use Ludacris as an adjective in the English language ? Go back to TN Kirnon and do not collect $200.
Pity the PM got his vaccine in secret, instead of doing it publicly and setting an example.
Yess e get de woid ok butt nat fun dpelum , it orl rite u no nobody nee d
d***tionary wen u hab watzPpp
That’s if he even take it.
Dear opinion lets not be a hypocrit at the same time.We all know that some of the covid deaths are related to persons who would have already taken the vaccine.Instead of covering up lies the Government been telling you do your research differently.The vaccine doesnt stops you from ketching the virus so why take the vaccime and you can still catch covid huh.They say it prevents you from been hospitalized and deaths.Liessss.The amount of vaccinated persons who were hospitalized between January and May and a few were deaths.Come on.Stop these lies okay.Let the people of Antigua know the truth and nothing but the truth.Covid cases went quiet after a time until police bursting on operated bars and videos were circulating.The fete they had and they were in a very few that could have been counted on two hands then woops day by day they have new cases of covid all of a sudden.Wow.
Why do people still give their children the MMR vaccine? there are many persons who are vaccinated for a disease and still catch it. The article clearly states you can visit the UK website and check the measles cases. if you did you would see that indeed cases didn’t stop but it did lower the deaths and this reduction in deaths didnt happen over night. Also Ulan i do agree with the word prevent being used wronged by the medical experts and politicians. perhaps a better word would be reduce. Also were those persons full vaccinated? In addition, i think the article clearly said that we must stop acting like its a cure or a quick fix or maybe i read wrong.
I also agree that the truth should be told but I also think we don’t use our brain sometimes. Cases went up a day after the fete now me know results takes at least two to three days well those done by the hospital so how the hell can we attribute that to the fete, that makes no freaking sense. In addition, I do believe that there are cases of false positives as was the case with several persons I know.
Also if the cases were 00 for weeks and rumors of an outbreak was happening wouldn’t you say them a lie to? so i want to know whats a good know to believe them na lie? Ignore the fact there is an outbreak at a particular place this wont reflect on our dash board. I mean its not like a consistent number of positives coming days in a row would signify an outbreak.
Its so ironic that someone that takes these vaccines can die from diabetes but in the same breath no one that contracted Covid-19 can die from anything else. Even if you test positive and die in a car accident its a covid death. Common sense is very common. On the other hand since u pointing out good and positive things i really don’t see them pointing out the positive side that 97-98% of the people that contract covid recovered without a vaccine. Even if these vaccines kill someone they would not say because it would not be good for their objective The vaccines have to maintain a clean slate so they can accomplish whats set out to accomplish.
Educate me please. What is the vaccine set out to accomplish other than what has been said?
Educate me as to why every adult need to be vaccinated. Since everyone else think they have a right to decide on what goes into people’s body. What if some people are comfortable taking that 97-98% chance of catching and recovering from covid-19? I have no problem with ur choice to be vaccinated thats ur “CHOICE” why do u think u deserve to have an opinion or think i don’t have a right to my “CHOICE” to make a choice not to be vaccinated? And to answer your question. The accomplishment that i was referring to was to have as much adults that they can vaccinated. Now they adding kids. Seems like ur on quicksilver. Its bad enough we have red and blue division. Now we have vaccinated and unvaccinated division too.
It all boils down to respecting the other man’s “CHOICE.”
Back in the days, were there any type of medicine to cure illness? So why do in just a short lil time as covid came out remedy is found right away, this remedy ain’t properly research and has chemicals etc…., where is the cure for Aids? We ppl need to open our eyes, we are being used to test on, a cure is there for everything not by man made but by nature just have to search deeper in the woods ( herb is the healing of the nation).
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