For me, getting the vaccine means gaining a sense of freedom and feeling less stress about contracting the virus. Mentally, I know that having the vaccine means I’m more protected now from COVID. Getting immunized is one more step toward getting things back to normal.
I’ve been impacted at my work by COVID, because my interactions with the people I support are overly cautious and less meaningful. Activities are more restricted, and the people I support have less choice of activities to enjoy outside of St. Amant.
In my personal life, I don’t get to see my family anymore, besides virtually calling them. I’m very close to my aunts, uncles and cousins, and we used to see each other every weekend or on my days off. However, now with the restrictions, that pretty much has become impossible.
People who are hesitant to get the vaccine should not be forced, it should be a choice they make on their own. I can’t say that it is something we shouldn’t be scared of, as there are still unknown risks. However, I think people also need to keep in mind, that getting the vaccine doesn’t necessarily just protect themselves, but also the people around them who can’t get vaccinated because of underlying conditions, or younger individuals.
For right now, even after the vaccine, we do have to be careful, and continue with our routine of social distancing and hand washing until more people are vaccinated. There’s still some risk of passing the virus through touch. Also, now that we‘ve been forced to distance ourselves from others, try to remember the importance of your relationships with others, don’t take each other for granted, and really value the times you do get to spend with your loved ones.
