As a member of the Shenandoah University community, you know that the university has been deeply involved in COVID-19 vaccination efforts ever since vaccines began rolling out in December.

The James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center has been serving as a mass-vaccination clinic, where tens of thousands of shots have been administered. You may have volunteered at one of these clinics, or watched one in action as you participated in a team practice or participated in asymptomatic COVID-19 testing.

And now, U.S. President Joe Biden is saying that all adults should be eligible for a vaccine by May 1.

People are clamoring for shots, and vaccine demand seemingly far exceeds supply.

But what if you’re still on the fence about getting a vaccination? What makes this particular vaccination so very important to get as soon as you’re eligible for it?

Here are just a few reasons, via information quoted from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

COVID-19 is unpredictable

COVID-19 can have serious, life-threatening complications, and there is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. And if you get sick, you could spread the disease to friends, family, and others around you.” It also notes that, “Experts believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19, and . . . getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.”

CDC

There’s a reason the vaccines have been authorized for use

All the vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States are safe, and highly effective at preventing COVID-19.”

Learn more about the vaccines at CDC.gov. Also, none of the vaccines can make you sick with COVID-19. None contain the live virus. The vaccines won’t alter your DNA, either. Take a look at the Myths and Facts About COVID-19 vaccines at CDC.gov.

If you have side effects, they’re not deal-breakers

After getting vaccinated, you may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. The most common side effects are pain and swelling in the arm where you received the shot. In addition, you may have fever, chills, tiredness, and headache. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.”

There’s a whole CDC FAQ about vaccination. Check it out.

Once you’re fully vaccinated, you can do things with other vaccinated people. Fun things. You can even hug your grandma or granddad, we hope.

You can gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask. You can gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.”

The CDC guidance for fully vaccinated people is available at CDC.gov.

And, the vaccines are FREE!!! Who doesn’t like free stuff? Especially free stuff that helps to stop a pandemic?

To get a vaccine in Virginia, you need to pre-register online at https://vaccinate.virginia.gov or by calling (877) VAX-IN-VA. Once you’re pre-registered, you’ll be contacted about an appointment, based on which vaccination phase applies to you. It may take a while, but once you’re signed up through Vaccinate Virginia, you have your place in line.

Also, if you need a little help finding where vaccines are being administered, put your zip code into the search function at https://vaccinefinder.org/search.

Want another wrapup?

On CDC.gov, you can read the “Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines.”

Then, pre-register for your vaccination. Take the first one you can get. They’re all good.

 

Do it for yourself.

 

Do it for someone you love.

 

Do it for that person sitting two desks over.

 

Do it for your community, for your state, your nation, and the world.

 

Do it for that hug you haven’t felt in a year.

 

#HornetsStingCovid