Being Part of the Healing

Like many of you, I would be lying to myself if I denied having concerns about the Covid vaccine. Somedays I doubt how much expertise the so-called experts who disappointed us really have. And like runners at the end of a marathon, we are tired and lonely and the hardest part is ahead.

But when I am scared and skeptical and exhausted I reflect and enquire.

We know that the past can guide us. Prior pandemics have been accompanied by distrust in science. Most of us can still remember the anti-vaccine movement around H1N1. There were multiple narratives then also about the epidemic, including the media and authorities, which people feared were hiding information. This was before smart phones and social media, which are super spreaders of bad information, especially among immigrant communities in the U.S.

We know we have been living in a state of terror. When scared, we often dramatize and see things in black and white, responding disproportionately to the original threat. In nature, it is the over-reaction that kills us.

We are also the most informed society — we have access to all we want to find. For example, the ingredients of the Pfizer vaccine. They are public. We got the genetic code by scientists in China to start vaccine production in January. The vaccine was developed from technology from prior Coronavirus and cancer research, and was completed in March. Public officials cut out red tape and added funding.

Finally, we have access to new approaches. Past vaccines typically use a live but weakened “attenuated” or “inactivated” virus. The Covid vaccine is different. It contains mRNA (messenger genetic material) that encodes for the Covid spike protein. It will stimulate your immune system to form antibodies to Covid. When your body is subsequently exposed to Covid, it will quickly recognize the spike protein and destroy it before it can make you sick.

In contrast, when you get Covid without these antibodies, the virus hijacks your cells to produce many copies of the entire virus, destroying the cell and releasing its newly formed viral particles, ultimately getting you sick and contagious. The trauma is national but the damage is focused on the front line and the vulnerable.

We already lost over 350,000 people, many dying alone, and nearly 10 million Covid survivors risk depression, anxiety and “brain fog.” Their loved ones and communities will never be the same.

They had no chance. We have one.

At the light of this, when my turn comes, I will take the vaccine — not only for myself, but also for my kids, my family, beloved elder relatives, and for everyone else. We know that scientific data has been critical during this pandemic to move forward. But most importantly, it has been our solidarity, mutual support and care that truly helped us to survive so far. Our shared solidarity is the magic ingredient that will enable us to fully overcome this crisis — and to build a more resilient, equitable and prosperous future.

This is the leap we have to take to get back to the world that we want. Yes, there may be uncertainty around any new therapy but there is certainty in the horror of the alternative.

This first U.S. vaccine recipient, nurse Sandra Lindsay, said “healing in coming” after she was vaccinated. Let’s join her in this effort.