Why we are getting the Vaccine
Please see some of our staff testimonials about “Why I’m Getting The Vaccine”.
I’m getting the Covid vaccine for others:
I’m getting it for my mom who is 87 years old and whom I’ve only visited through a pane of glass since February of 2020. I miss her and want her to be safe.
I’m getting it for my best friend of 50 years who has stage 4 cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy, which has compromised his immune system. I don’t dare get close to him for fear I may have Covid-19 and pass it on to him.
I’m getting the vaccine for all the persons in my community who may have underlying medical conditions, are older, or otherwise may be at high risk for severe complications if they catch Covid-19 from me. I feel a responsibility to others to be as safe as I can be. I know that even after I get the vaccine I will still have to wear a mask, distance etc. We are about half way through this fight. I realize that. Im not leaving any weapon on the table and this vaccine is the best I’ve seen. I want to end this fight as quickly as possible.
I’ve NEVER been one to believe in conspiracy theories because I do my own research. All the mess out on social media has not swayed me one bit. I have personally told many that as soon as the vaccine becomes available, I’m taking it. I strongly encourage everyone to follow the science. Take the vaccine and do your part to save some lives.
I’m taking the vaccine because I have four precious little people that I have been blessed to call My Own, for my parents, and for my Aunt that I usually help out that is on Dialysis. This is also precious to me because I just lost my Mother in Law to COVID, an Uncle before her and a distant cousin. To me, this Vaccine is no different than the Flu Vaccine, and I believe that we have to be helpers, one to another. When one is affected, we all are affected in some way… and when problems could possibly occur, family work through things and stick together to make sure that the one common goal is achieved! We can’t be successful in fighting it together if everyone isn’t willing to do their part. So, I really hope that we all can truly be on One Accord and take the Vaccine when it’s available to us.
As part of my job description as a Nurse Practitioner, it is my responsibility to keep others safe. Providing direct patient care for residents and staff is only a small portion of my role. It will take more than me to stop a worldwide pandemic, however it cannot be done without me. I am not taking the Covid-19 vaccination for me. I am doing it for my step-father that passed, and for my kids so they don’t. If everyone did their part, and received the vaccination today, then Covid and its wake of destruction could be gone tomorrow. If not, then Covid-19 will outlive everyone.
Like many of you I too have personally been affected by the pandemic, and have been heartbroken to see my friend who is a mother to 2 school aged children now a double amputee secondary to COVID. Many of us have felt helpless during this difficult time. Remember those days when we could visit our loved ones and hug them without worry? Receiving the vaccine is something that we can actively do to help ourselves as well as others. As a physician, I agree, the COVID vaccine is currently our best option and I plan to receive it. I am hopeful that many more will do the same.
The Starfish Story
A young man is walking along the ocean and sees a beach on which thousands and thousands of starfish have washed ashore. Further along he sees an old man, walking slowly and stooping often, picking up one starfish after another and tossing each one gently into the ocean.
“Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?,” he asks.
“Because the sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don’t throw them further in they will die.”
“But, old man, don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it! You can’t possibly save them all, you can’t even save one-tenth of them. In fact, even if you work all day, your efforts won’t make any difference at all.”
The old man listened calmly and then bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the sea. “It made a difference to that one.”
…I will be getting the vaccine so that I do not unknowingly pass the virus to someone who can’t fight it
…I will be getting the vaccine in order to help those that can’t help themselves
…I will be getting the vaccine to protect my family, friends and coworkers
…I will be getting the vaccine because it WILL make a difference…I can save a family from the unspeakable heartbreak of losing a loved one to this virus and I will know “It made a difference to that one.”
I am so excited today. I got my first COVID vaccine. I got it because I didn’t get to see my family for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I got it because my mother is medically fragile and I have only seen her twice in 8 months. I got it because my kids have not been in school and just got their school soccer season cancelled. I got it because I want to do my part to help the greater good.
It was easy, it was fast, and it did not hurt.
I’m taking the vaccine to protect others first and myself second. If wearing a mask and taking the vaccine provides safety for others…I’m all in. I want this pandemic to end, I want my kids to be able to see and hug their grandparents, I want our kids at New Hope to see and hug their loved ones, I want our way of life to return to normal.
New Hope…Our Name…Our Promise
