A little over a year ago Pat and I had received our initial vaccinations to protect us from COVID-19. We had to wait four weeks before we could receive our second Moderna shot, but by the end of February we had it.
Eight months later we received our third shot, the booster, and we were glad we did.
The other day a message popped up on one of the apps on my phone saying that more than 900,000 people in the United States have died of COVID.
Information sent on Monday of this week from the State Health Department shows there have been 13,594 provisional deaths in Oklahoma from the virus.
Probably by the time you are reading this, the number of positive case in the state will have topped 1 million. The number of positive cases on Monday was 997,783 with 50,355 active cases.
I realize that vaccinations are not fool proof from contacting COVID-19. Pat and I have discussed this on numerous occasions.
Personally, I believe though, it can help in protecting one from the virus and for me I think might help to lessen the impact of it if I got it.
I can’t help but believe, too, that many of the deaths the virus has led to could have been prevented by vaccinations.
In visiting with an acquaintance the other evening that I knew had just recovered recently from the COVID, he indicated he hadn’t taken any of the shots. From our discussion, it didn’t sound like he was very anxious to become vaccinated either.
There are lots of pros and cons about taking the shots. I surely understand that and I’m not being critical of those who are absolutely against getting them. That is their choice.
But I’ve been thinking back when I was a kid of when I received my first polio shot. Of course I wasn’t crazy about getting it, but I was about 7 years old and had no choice. I also had to take the boosters in the various forms they came up with through the years.
During my years in the Army Reserves, I got plenty of vaccinations, having no choice and was given boosters periodically throughout my career.
Today, my doctor almost requires an annual flu shot, but I take it willingly and don’t miss.
When I was in college I took a shot to prevent me from getting the mumps when my younger brother came down with them.
For me anyway, I think vaccinations have been good in my life. I feel the good outweighs the bad, especially with the COVID.
Still, I also believe they are a personal choice matter.