COVID-19 Vaccine is Necessary

I am happy that people are starting to be vaccinated from COVID-19. Everyone needs to be vaccinated so that we get herd immunity. Herd immunity is a term that is being frequently mentioned. It means that once a certain percentage of the population is vaccinated the transmission of the virus from person to person is unlikely. At the time of this writing, the exact percentage for herd immunity with COVID-19 is not known. I have seen the percentage between 70-85% of the population.

I know that some people are hesitant to get the vaccine. One strategy is to not get the vaccine and hope that everyone else does. The thinking is that this would protect the person did not get the vaccine. This is a terrible plan. In 2014, parents fearing side effects or inconvenience of getting the measles vaccine did not vaccinate their children. This action caused outbreaks of measles in Canada.

We need everyone who can to get the COVID-19 vaccine in order to protect the people most at risk from dying. The long-term complications of being sick with COVID-19 are serious and can shorten your life.

Please get the COVID-19 vaccine yourself and encourage your loved ones to do the same. Thanks for reading. #lifestylemedicine #olderadults #seniors

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