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Time to Get Vaccinated

January 13, 2021   31 Comments

I don’t want to act like I can see into the future or had a premonition about the pandemic. I did not.

Time to Get Vaccinated

But, last January I wrote - Why Are Vaccines Important? - in an attempt convince my readers to look into their vaccination record and ensure they were up to date.

I also wanted to promote the flu vaccine that is available every year. I got this response from one of my readers, Beverly:

My husband died in Dec 2017 from the influenza. It was devastating. He contracted it on an airplane (doctor's guess as he had be away on business). If only everyone was vaccinated. I think people forget you can easily be a carrier of the deadly virus. It is no way to see your loved ones die.

When I read Beverly’s comment, I was heartbroken and grateful she shared her story.

The reason why I was writing about vaccination in January, 2020 was because of an experience that I had in September of 2019. I was thinking about my visit to an emergency room in Springfield, Massachusetts.

It is a long story and I don’t want to get into all of the nitty gritty details but I ended up on an ambulance headed for a Baystate emergency room with a ruptured appendix. Hint - avoid this painful fate! it sucked!!

I got there at around 9 AM and spent until 7 PM or so (hard for me to remember exactly) until the surgeons removed my appendix. I spent that 10 hours in a haze of fentanyl and morphine because the pain was nuts.

Why so long until they took it out? I was stable (meaning not going to die anytime soon) and I was triaged behind people who needed help more than I did. The hospital was overrun by patients - beds in the corridors, long lines in the waiting room, every space filled with sick people -and the staff told me that this never happens EXCEPT FOR FLU SEASON.

It wasn’t actually flu season so they were flummoxed about the demand.

This terrible health care experience made me want to write about vaccines! I couldn’t believe that every year our hospitals look like a war zone because of flu.

I looked it up.

From You are Unvaccinated and Got Sick. These Are Your Odds:

The 2017-18 influenza epidemic was an especially bad one, resulting in an estimated 45 million illnesses nationwide, according to the C.D.C.

An estimated 810,000 people were hospitalized and 61,000 people died, including 643 children. The majority of children who die from influenza have not received the flu vaccine.

61,000 seems like a low number right about now.

I will be getting the COVID-19 vaccine when it is my turn and I will vaccinate my children. You can bet that I will be posting a “Vaccine Selfie” right here on Snack Girl.

The only problem is that I haven’t had a hair cut for almost a year so I might be wearing a hat.

Did I wonder if the COVID-19 vaccine was safe? Sure! The speed of the vaccine development made me wonder but then I read about how they did it. They didn't skip any steps on safety - they simply conducted some stages of testing simultaneously unlike other vaccine trials where they did the stages one after the other. Here is an article from Johns Hopkins on the vaccine: Is the Covid Vaccine Safe?

A friend of mine shared (about vaccination) that she didn’t want to “put a disease in her innocent, pure child” - and I get that it vaccines are scary because they introduce you to the disease.

BUT, it is safe for almost all of us to do so! Even the people who have allergic reactions do not die from the vaccine.

This is a really great explanation of how vaccines work - How COVID-19 Vaccines Work.

Basically, a little bit of genetic material from the virus is introduced to our body and then our AMAZING immune system create antibodies to the virus. We aren’t being polluted - we are being strengthened.

Think about it this way - our entire lives we encounter viruses and bacteria and our immune system makes antibodies. This is a natural occurring process and all we are doing by injecting a vaccine is hustling our immune system along.

Our immune system can now keep us healthy when the truly nasty diseases show up. I am looking at you Polio, Rubella, Mumps, Chicken Pox….

We need between 230-300 million people in the USA to get vaccinated to stop the illness and death from COVID-19. The only way to end this horror is for all of us to step up and be vaccinated.

Thank you for listening. I will get off my soap box now and go back to reviews, recipes, and inspiration.

If this post moves you - share it on social media or send it to your friends. We need to convince as many people as possible to get the vaccine.

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31 Comments:

Thank you, Lisa, for doing your part and educating your readers with information based on science and facts. I work for the VA and consider myself very fortunate to have received my first dose 2 weeks ago. I’ve been following your blog for years and will continue to do so. Stay healthy!

Although I’d taken the flu shot 2017-2018, I got the flu anyway. On top of that I had a sinus infection plus pink eye (conjunctivitis). I laid n bed for 3 weeks. I only got up to go to the bathroom. My immune system was probably down bc I’d been caring for my husband who had pancreatic cancer for 2 years prior to that. I’ve never been so sick in my life. Can’t imagine how horrible Covid would be. GET THE COVID SHOT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. A

I suggest you do more research on those who died from taking the covid-19 vaccination.

There have been several deaths that related to the vaccination.

An example of what a vaccination can do was when I took the shingles vaccination at the urging of my primary care physician. I had immediate negative reaction and ended up in the hospital for 3 days. I saw another physician he said your body could not take that kind of overload of medication that's why you got so ill. I am immune suppressed because of an autoimmune disease. I will not be taking any more vaccinations of any kind.

Be your own best friend, and do research before you take any kind of vaccination. I was told by physician in 1988 that I had 5 years to live. I'm still here, and I'm 76 years old now. They don't know everything. Do your own research and handle your own health affairs.

Hi Lisa

Thank you for this post. I work for a hospital in Upstate New York and received my first dose yesterday of the COVID vaccine. I did not have any reaction to the vaccine. I am allergic to everything so it was a concern. We need to do everything we can to make sure people are healthy and safe so people should seriously look into receiving the vaccine. We also still need to wear masks, wash our hands, social distance and use common sense in our surroundings. We will fight this pandemic....

I hope to not be forced into getting this vaccine, mostly because they barely had time to do ANY testing and yes the flu is bad I've had it, but there are hundreds of strains of it and the vaccine only protects against the top 4-5, not the best odds. I was forced by my employer to get the flu shot or pay a significantly higher premium on my benefits. So i did it. I feel when it comes time to go back into the office they are going to force this vaccine on me or not sure what will happen. It is wrong to expect people to just get it, some of us have our own minds and my mind and my gut are telling me to NOT get it.

Hi Lisa, Thank you for sharing this information of positivity and support for so many people who just need that encouragement. My husband and I received our first vaccination last week (I have 11 medication allergies) but very minimal reaction to this life-saving vaccination. I am so thrilled for the first time in nearly a year - to not wake up every morning with that sinking feeling that today could be the day that someone, somewhere has COVID-19 and unknowingly shares it with me or my husband. Asymptomatic people are everywhere and I'm amazed we've been able to get through this year without getting sick when so many others have.

I put this one right in there with polio, smallpox and the other ailments that we have vaccinations to help the majority of people avoid these terrible diseases. Yes, it's everyone's decision as to whether or not to take it, but for the majority of people it will be the only solution. Please protect your family, friends and loved ones and get the vaccination.

My 90 year old mother received her vaccine last week too. Has had no reaction whatsoever! She's anxiously looking forward to being able to go out again soon (she lives in an assisted living facility).

Have a great day Lisa!

I received the first dose of Pfizer vaccine yesterday (in Canada). No side effect. My arm is not even sore.

Actually tons of research was done on this vaccine. They had test groups 4 times of the normal test groups for a vaccine. The entire world is very interested in stopping COVID so a ton of money was thrown at figuring this vaccine out. What was sped up was paperwork. Mayo Clinic has very good articles explaining more about the vaccine.

Lisa, thank you for this critical information. I've already shared this to 6 people.

Thankyou for your well timed vaccine PSA. I am 74 and I get my Flu shot each year. I got the pnuemonia vaccine this year. I will get my first round Covid vaccine next week. Vaccines save prolong and save lives. My goal is to live to 100!

I got the second dose of the vaccine and had a headache. It’s better than being on a vent though. And the hospitals are over run with covid patients. So thank you for writing this.

Hi Lisa,

Thank you so, so much for using your platform to promote this life-saving cause.

I have had the COVID vaccine, both shots. I did it for my family, friends and our future. As a healthcare essential personnel, I have done my own research and felt it to be safe. With any medication, there are risks of side effects. Had very few, mild at that, side effects....from either shot. This is the only way we will stop this dreadful virus and get some kind of normalcy back. Please vaccinate!

I am a very healthy 59 year old. I am recovering from Covid and I have never been so sick in my life. Initially I was against the vaccine. However, I have completely changed my thinking after experiencing how awful Covid is. It is not "just the flu" as many people think. I will now be getting the vaccine when I am eligible.

Thank you for this! I am getting over Covid now and I've had flu in the past. This is NOTHING like the flu. It's been almost 2 months now and I still cannot smell or taste a thing. Fever, headache, cough - not fun. But the body aches! They don't tell you much about that and believe me they are horrible. I have to wait 90 days before I am eligible since I had the virus, but believe me, I will be there to get that vaccine. I don't wish this on anyone

Thank you for publishing the scientific facts about the new covid vaccine. I can't wait to roll up my arm and get the jab when I'm eligible (probably summer given my age and profession). Even if people are dying of the covid vaccine (dubious but if they are the number is near zero), millions of people are dying from covid, so I don't understand that logic at all. Stay safe and healthy.

Hi Lisa! I definitely shared your post to FB. It breaks my heart, the ‘anti vaccers’ and of course that does not include those certain people whose Doctors state are not safe to receive it. Unvaccinated ‘by free will’ people have a greater chance of becoming those asymptomatic carriers who infect those around them, which is why we have to take the extreme steps to protect (at least in some states, like Washington). I’m tired of the ‘new infections,’ I’m tired of hearing about the deaths of people MY AGE who were otherwise healthy, and I definitely don’t want to roll the dice in being ‘just a little sick’ or a ‘long hauler.’ Thank you.

Kind of weird and sickening that this rushed vaccine we don't know much about has turned into a social media status symbol. Selfies with shots....c'mon - Let's wake up. Get the vaccine if you must, but please don't be a part of yet another virtue signaling movement. I would be embarrassed if I received a vaccine ahead of an 80-year-old person who is at a higher risk.

Have any of you heard about whether we are supposed to stay off of ibuprofin and Tylenol (can't remember the spelling of the generic!) 1-2 days before getting the vaccine? I read one article about it, which makes me wonder but only one article does not make me automatically trust it's information! It said that if you have those in your system, they can suppress your body's response to the vaccine, making it less effective.

Thank you, Lisa, for your thoughtful and heartfelt article!

I will confess that I did not read all the comments above. I plan to get the vaccine when it is available although I have only ever gotten the regular flu vaccine once in the past. What I do want to CORRECT in your original post is that the COVID vaccine does NOT use any virus so it is NOT introducing a little bit of the virus to make you stronger. It is an entirely new way of making vaccines. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.ht…

Thank you so much, Lisa, for this information. I have an appointment next week to get my vaccine and I am so glad. I have had yearly flu shots, the pneumonia vaccines, the Shingrix vaccines, and so many others. I never have any problems except sometimes a sore arm. It is so worth it to me to get the vaccines. When I researched the COVID vaccine I felt better about it. Make sure you use real research like Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, etc. and don’t believe what some random people may tweet.

Thank you for using your platform to share your experience, encouragement and facts. I have a primary immune deficiency called hypogammaglobulinemia. My body is genetically unable to make adequate antibodies and because of this I get seriously sick way too often. I receive monthly IVIG infusions made from donor plasma. I’m grateful for the protection I get from the COVID and other antibodies in donor blood. I will absolutely get the COVID vaccine, as I do with all other available vaccines, even if if only gives me partial or temporary protection. It’s the right thing to do. And the benefits far outweigh the risks.

All of that is very sound and good advice but from everything I've read, there is no live virus in the COVID vacccine. There is no way you can get the viral infection from the vaccine unlike some others that do use just a bit of the live virus.

Thank you for sharing this. My husband and a number of friends work in healthcare, and I was so relieved when they were all able to get the vaccine. I will definitely be getting it when it's my turn.

Thank you Lisa! I got my first vaccine a week ago. Second one due in 2 weeks. Just a little soreness at injection site and kind of tired for a few days. I get my flu shot every year and also my pneumonia vaccine every 5 years (I'm 76). My whole family is getting the Covid vaccine. I'm high risk for Covid. Not taking any chances. We have to get this thing under control!

I am 100 percent with you Lisa. I have complete faith in these vaccines. I feel sorry for the woman above who is afraid of being “forced “ to get the vaccine. Getting Covid would be MUCH worse. Due to my age group I was able to fill out a form today with my age and details which I e-mailed to the county. They will then inform me when vaccine will be available for my group and I can schedule my appointment. I can’t wait! I’m making the best of things for now ( outdoor lunch today in 50 degree weather under a patio heater)

but I long for normalcy.

Get the vaccine everyone, as Lisa says, IT IS SAFE !

Martha in Philly( where good things happen)

To echo one comment above, each person needs to do their own research (from reliable sources) and be well-informed before making this or any other healthcare decision.

One comment referred to a new way of making this vaccine, which is why a Stanford specialist with whom I'm collegial told me he's waiting for the adenovirus-based Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which uses existing technology with years of research behind it. It also takes only one shot, not two, and is more stable, not requiring deep refrigeration.

All I'm suggesting is that you be a well-informed health consumer. If you choose to vaccinate, know the differences and which one you're getting.

Herd immunity is needed to keep those safe that aren't able to get the vaccination or unable to due to being allergic to an ingredient in the vaccine. We were fortunate in the 50s to get our polio vaccinations and due to herd immunity it keeps others safe too. I will get my covid vaccination as soon as I am able too. My daughter got her first last week as she's in the front lines (giving vaccinations in a pharmacy).

Friends in facilities now are sitting there alone because families can't visit. My aunts, 80 and 89, are living through this year and winter pretty darn isolated. My friends who still have parents are not able to hug them. We've lost so many and so much. We will wear and mask, wash hands, stay distanced before and after the vaccine to protect ourselves and others. We're getting it as soon as it's our turn.

Thank you for this article. Yes I will be getting Covid -19 Shot also.

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