Destiny Del Castillo, Argumentative Essay(covid vaccine)

Destiny Del Castillo                                                                                                      

Apr.1.2022

CRT 100-057W                                                                                                             

Prof. Barnes

Should a COVID 19 vaccine be mandatory?

            Vaccines have been here to help boost our bodies to go against viruses/diseases that are potentially meant to harm or even kill us. COVID-19, became a newly introduced not too long along as we entered the 2020 year, it has spread all over the country since. People became either mildly or severely sick that put many of us in lockdown mode because this became a pandemic. It became something everyone was unsure about, so it was best to keep inside, keep distance if having to go outside and many losing their own jobs or had to work from home. It is now 2022, and things are slowly going back to the new “normal”. Now we have vaccines, vaccines for the COVID-19 were introduced in 2020 going in to 2021 I believe. Since then, it has shown to have helped many for those who have a higher risk of falling severely ill. This doesn’t mean you are less likely to catch the virus, but less likely to be severely ill if you get infected. I do believe that making vaccines mandatory is a good way to keep us with a good health or better health status if we are going against a new virus such as COVID-19.

            Vaccines are for everyone but especially those at a greatly higher risk. This could mean that the pandemic can be more in control if we have these vaccines. Now, children from the ages of 12 and up are now able to receive vaccines. Children are seen to be less vulnerable and at a risk, but now those starting from the ages of 12 can if they decide to take the vaccine. According to Allan Greenblatt he mentions in his article, “Not many 11-year-olds are eager to get a shot, but Gavin Roberts could not wait until he turned 12, when he would become eligible for a coronavirus vaccine. His father died last year from COVID-19, and Gavin has taken the threat to his own health seriously, skipping his hockey team’s Labor Day tournament due to the risk of infection. As it turned out, his coach and two teammates contracted the disease…All he has asked for [for] his birthday is a COVID-19 vaccine,” his mother wrote.” Now many would say that the vaccine will not be much of a difference because he is young and his immune system is strong, but we don’t know that we don’t know what each children’s health status is. If Gavin wants to better protect himself especially if he is going to surround himself with many other people, and if he feels comfortable getting a vaccine then why not. There are many stories like Gavin for sure, and for a child to be so young to ask for a vaccine after going through an experience with the loss of a loved one, is one of the toughest. To be feared by a virus still not 100 percent known is something many think about, but if these vaccines can change it even a little bit, then why not, it’s better to know that there is a possible future than to be feared of not having one.

            COVID-19 vaccines have helped fight off the virus, but it can also be possible that these vaccines can lead to help another issue. Imagine one of the toughest diseases that don’t have a cure or it’s something that doesn’t have hope for a long life. I guess cancer might’ve come to mind first, but there are more diseases as well such as HIV. Yes, the same tool for COVID-19 vaccine could be a first step in a cure for HIV. According to Joedy McCreary he states, “DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — The same tool behind the most popular COVID-19 vaccines could be used to deliver a potential vaccine for HIV, Duke researchers say…The team says it built an mRNA vaccine that could encode for the acquisition of those mutations and monoclonal antibodies that neutralize the virus. “I am excited that the mRNA-vaccine platform, which has helped to slow the spread of COVID-19 and decrease death from it, may be able to be put to work to protect people from HIV,” said Dr. Drew Weissman, a professor of vaccine research at the University of Pennsylvania’s medical school and a co-senior author who spent decades working on the mRNA technology that went into the COVID-19 vaccines.” If this tool helped behind the COVID-19 became a success, then why not have some high hopes for HIV which is one of the toughest. In less then what two years after being introduced to COVID-19, now we have a vaccine that has shown results in keeping those in better health so far. If the vaccine didn’t prove to be a balance at this point, then we wouldn’t have any hope for other diseases. This vaccine has seemed to have opened so many possibilities and solutions for other diseases!

            People have big thoughts on travel whether during or after vaccines but instead of vaccines being mandatory why not just have testing sites and quarantine for 15 days, depending on destination requirements. According to Sara Toth Stub she briefly explains a situation, “This summer, the luxury Crane Resort in Barbados built a COVID-19 testing lab on its sprawling beachfront property. Now included in the price of a stay is a coronavirus test upon arrival that meets Barbados’ government health requirements…“The only way to be successful in the current situation is to do everything we can to meet the needs of tourism and the needs of health,” says Paul Doyle, owner of the Crane. “Testing is a huge part of this.” Other countries around the world are taking part of COVID-19 testing and quarantining for safety of those who haven’t received a vaccine or are hesitant on taking a vaccine. In the end we respect those who are hesitant but isn’t it better to be safe especially with new variants in many other parts of the country. Sara Toth Stub does mention further on, “In the United States, the increase came amid guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that domestic air travel is low risk for vaccinated people, who no longer need to test or quarantine as part of their travel routine.” A low risk is better than being told high risk, we don’t know what other variants are out there and even if this vaccine can protect us 40 percent or whatever the percentage it’s still a protective barrier for our health not being at a high risk of potentially death. According to Katie Shepherd, “As omicron became the dominant variant, the vaccine was 79 percent effective in preventing ventilation or death for people who received the initial series of two doses. The benefit was even greater for people who received a booster shot: During that same time period, the vaccine was 94 percent effective for those people…“Anybody who is skeptical really needs to look at that number and think, ‘Okay, maybe I’m going to get a cold and feel sick, but … I’m not going to get put on a ventilator or die,’” said Jeanne Marrazzo, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.” Higher than the 40 percent that I mentioned before and I think that people should consider this, consider that this vaccine maybe a better decision than not getting it at all. If the percentage is that high then why fear, you’ll be sick but don’t have to feel worried or gravely ill that you fear that you aren’t going to make it. If the science can create a vaccine that has shown to control the pandemic so far with lower death rates and hospital rates compared to when it all started, then why think twice on it.