To Vaccinate or not to Vaccinate?

That is the question

I’m like a pendulum, going back and forth, considering my options. I’ve never been an ‘anti-vaxxer’ though as a curious human, I’ve questioned the plight, and there’s valid fears there (sometimes), though not always. But here we are, in 2021, and we’re being forced into a situation in which the Covid vaccine is here and we’re all rushing forward with our arms out, saying, “Gimme! Gimme!” with gusto.
But… here I am, justifiably asking, to vaccinate or not to vaccinate?

Yesterday, I was back on the right side, where I’ve been for weeks, happy to patiently wait for my turn to get the vaccine, and to finally (hopefully!) get out of this fucking, never-ending, lockdown which has been going on since 1992.

But then I received a phone call from a scientist, who formerly worked for the United Nations, and he threw a spanner in the works. “Are you sure these vaccines are safe?” He said, after our conversation about other, unrelated matters, had concluded.

“Yes, of course they are! They’ve been certified by far too many independent scientists around the world, some of whom I trust and respect,” I assured him, hoping to end the conversation and perhaps provide him with a much-needed point on the ‘pro’ side.

“Are you sure about that?” He said, “I also see a lot of scientists complaining that there hasn’t been enough testing. We haven’t seen much peer-review, in fact, we don’t know the short, mid or long-term effects of these vaccines. How do we know we aren’t priming people for the VoC’s (Variants of Concern)? Are we absolutely certain we aren’t introducing vulnerabilities into our DNA that will make us more susceptible to further strains? Also, how do we know we aren’t making people sterile? It isn’t like we’ve had years to study the after-effects of these vaccination programs, is it?” He asked me.

And just like that pendulum, I was back on the other side. Or maybe just confused, as I have been more progressively these recent years with nearly everything I once trusted so blindly.

I’ve gone back and forth on this opinion in the past year so many times, that if I had been a pendulum, a drummer could use my uncertainty as a reliable beat.

I’m still on the pro side (I think) but perhaps not rushing forward, more like, shuffling nervously.

I really want to know if I’m being stupid to even question these vaccines? What are your thoughts? To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?

Fox