More than one year into the pandemic, the tide seems to be turning as vaccination distribution and administration continues. Given the immediate need and short time frame, each COVID-19 vaccine is truly a scientific achievement. Both the two-dose mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna boast about a 95% efficacy rate. The one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine offers 72% efficacy.
Each day, millions of people receive a dose. Little by little, there is improvement.
The pandemic has been political almost from day one. Masks, social distancing, and lockdowns have all been hotly debated among people on the Left and Right. For too many, where they stood on the pandemic-related issues largely depended on whether they supported former President Donald Trump. The same can be said now, as President Biden works to keep the promises he has made about bringing normalcy back to the country. Neither Trump nor Biden is responsible for this health crisis that has paused all of our lives. Both should be credited for the parts each has played in bringing the nation to this point.
One real concern is vaccine hesitancy. Polling shows that Republicans are least likely to get the vaccine when compared to Democrats and independents. And this reluctance exists even after Operation Warp Speed, which fast-tracked vaccine production, was initiated by and under Trump. Encouraging conservatives to get the vaccine is a difficult task for the Biden administration. On Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged that, saying, “We recognize as a Democratic administration with a Democratic president that we may not be the most effective messenger to communicate with hardcore supporters of the former president, and we have to be clear-eyed about that.”
It is time for conservatives to encourage their peers to get vaccinated.
Around the time the COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, my husband and I found out we were expecting our second child. It was nearly one year after a devastating miscarriage, and adding a global health crisis to the long list of concerns was the very last thing we wanted to do. Due to the lack of data surrounding COVID-19 and pregnancy, we played it safe. While others were angrily debating masks and lockdowns, we happily complied. It was the least we could do for our unborn child, given the unknowns. In the fall, we were overjoyed to welcome a healthy boy to our family.
With two children under age five at home, we could not wait to get vaccinated. Recently, my husband and I received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. We’re thankful for the research, production, distribution, and administration that led to this point. Conservatives have nothing to fear.
The internet is rife with conspiracy theories that may cause some to rethink making their own vaccine appointments. But unlike the vaccines, these theories have no basis in scientific fact. Getting vaccinated prevents severe illness and hospitalization. Not only do inoculations help individuals and their families, but they also draw us closer to herd immunity.
After the year that 2020 was, returning to normal should be a top priority. Like it or not, this requires mitigation efforts. For the longest time, that only looked like social distancing, masks, and hand-washing. Vaccinations are the last and most powerful piece of the puzzle.
It may be easy for some Republicans to reject the COVID-19 vaccines as they symbolize an early success for Biden. However, the truth is that both Trump and this administration deserve much praise.
I am one of the many people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine. I am thankful for the opportunity and, importantly, what it represents. The vaccine is backed by tireless scientific research used to meet a growing crisis. It is safe and effective. Collectively, it seems we’re on the brink of turning this nightmare around. It’s time to set politics, pride, and any unfounded fears aside.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
