It’s been just over a year since the first recorded coronavirus death in the United States. Since then, U.S. cases and deaths have skyrocketed to over 27 million and 500,000, respectively, and the world as we know it will be forever scarred by the horrors we’ve suffered during the pandemic. There are now two vaccines being distributed nationwide by the Moderna and Pfizer companies. Despite some concerns, we believe every American should get vaccinated as soon as possible.

A lot of hesitancy about the COVID-19 vaccine comes from online misinformation. any baseless conspiracy theories claim the vaccine contains microchips to track us, or that it’s been designed to sterilize people. Neither is true; like most online conspiracies, there is no factual basis for the claims.

It’s important to verify where you’re getting your vaccine information. Trusted sources, like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), or your primary care physician, are the people to listen to regarding the vaccine.

The vaccines are safe; they went through rigorous testing and trials to ensure that they will not harm consumers.

Another concern about the vaccines is how quickly they were developed and approved. When developing vaccines from scratch, it can take years to create an effective vaccine. However, the coronavirus was not a new disease. This particular strain (SARS-COVID-19) is what we’re fighting. Essentially, scientists needed to figure out what made this strain different and how to fight it, making the development time much faster.

There is a high mistrust of vaccines in communities of color, which is understandable due to the United States’ previous medical experiments under the guise of healthcare for marginalized communities. White people are also getting vaccinated at a higher rate than Black and Latino communities, despite minority communities being hit harder by the pandemic. However, we would like to reiterate that this vaccine is safe. It’s important to get vaccinated so you can protect yourself and your community.

Members of The Wood Word staff and their parents have received one or both doses of the vaccine. The only side effect some of them experienced was a sore arm at the injection site, which is common with any shot or vaccine.

No matter which vaccine you get, it’s important that you get it as soon as you’re eligible and the vaccine is available. The sooner we build a significant herd immunity, the sooner we can return to normal life. For the betterment of yourself and your family, friends and neighbors, getting the vaccine is as important as wearing a mask and socially distancing, which you should also continue to do. Don’t put it off.