Don't throw away your two shots!

 Despite the fact that vaccines have been hands-down the greatest life-saving invention of science, there is a persistent theme borne of conspiracy theories and false stories spread with the intent to cause social chaos, that vaccines are dangerous and to be avoided at all costs.  Yes, the history of vaccination contains stories in which things went wrong.  Vaccination began back in 1796 when Edward Jenner inoculated a young boy against smallpox. Since then, we've learned so much. Vaccination against diptheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, polio and many other diseases has saved countless lives and prevented crippling aftermaths.  

Now we are on the leading edge of a new generation of vaccines as we look to stop the spread of Coronavirus-19.  Predictably, some are already crying out that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and others coming along, are dangerous.  Simply put, there is no evidence that they are not suitable for all but a tiny percentage of the population that is immunocompromised; that is, they have an underlying condition such as cancer or HIV.  All these people know who they are, so there is no prospect that they would inadvertently be vaccinated. For nearly everybody else, vaccination is highly desirable. 

The new vaccines differ from the traditional ones in that they are neither alive nor contain any proteins, just RNA, DNA’s close relative.   The messenger-RNA vaccines, as they're called, will likely be the future of vaccines. They can be developed and tested without having to deal with whole viruses or proteins. And, very much in everyone's mind at present, they can be developed and manufactured much more rapidly than the traditional vaccines. 

The job of a vaccine is to give your body a warning signal, a small exposure to something that could be highly toxic.  When you receive a vaccine you should always expect that your body will react: sore arm, headaches, maybe even a fever for a day or so.  That's not fun, but rejoice in it--your body is working up a defense system against what it perceives as an unwanted intruder.  You may have a bit of discomfort, but that vaccination could save your life.  Don't let the know-nothings lead you astray here.  Stand up for Science!