by Ella Casey ‘21

As the first official COVID-19 vaccine gets approved in the U.S., hope begins to blossom across the nation–hope that this catastrophic pandemic has neared an end. But this may not happen as soon as we hoped. The cause: a divided nation. Since the early days of the pandemic, Americans have heavily disputed nearly every aspect of the virus. But now is not the time for distrust to fester. For the sake of our nation–our families–get vaccinated.

As the months go on, the amount of people willing to take an approved vaccine has increased, but the current 63 percent is not enough. From memes to serious concerns, distrust in COVID-19 vaccines has spread across the internet and fearful minds of hundreds of thousands of people. Without so much of the population vaccinated, infection rates will barely dip; life continues trapped in our homes; people continue to live in fear of human contact. If we are to find some semblance of normalcy back in our lives, people must trust this vaccine. Trust the word of numerous health and government officials. Trust other nations, which have already been distributing the vaccine. Trust, for once, that people simply want to help other people. This nation wants to go back to normal lives in which one doesn’t feel like their life is at risk by stepping outside the door.