Get educated, and get vaccinated

The following reflects the majority opinion of the editorial board.

Everyone over the age of 16 is now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Ohio. This next phase of vaccine eligibility began Monday March 29, and appointments are already filling up.

We would like to encourage all students to get this vaccine. Of course, we want everyone in the Miami and Oxford community and beyond to get vaccinated, but because the doors just opened for students, we should absolutely go take advantage of it.

That being said, we understand why some people are hesitant to jump online and schedule an appointment without a second thought.

Especially in marginalized communities, people of color have faced medical malpractice since the creation of modern medicine. This is cause for valid concern for people who have experienced medical discrimination.

We also understand that some members of the community have underlying health conditions that may prevent them from currently getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

For all those who are able to get vaccinated, we strongly encourage researching every available option. It’s best to find a place to get vaccinated that will ease anxieties and take care of you and your needs.

Educating yourself on which vaccine is right for you is also an important step in this process. Especially if you have concerns about how well this vaccine was tested, or potential negative effects, you need to educate yourself to make sure that your worries stem from a place of factual evidence rather than fear, ignorance or things shared on Facebook.

Please, do not get your vaccine information from Facebook.

There’s a lot of options to choose from when it comes to vaccines. There’s Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s single dose shot. The CDC has great information about the contents of these vaccines, and who they’re best suited for.

According to the CDC, the Pfizer vaccine is a good option for anyone ages 16 years or older. Plus, it’s shown to be 95% effective.

The Moderna vaccine is recommended for anyone ages 18 years or older. It has an efficacy rate of 94%, and Dolly Parton even funded Moderna’s research efforts.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is known for being single-dose, meaning you don’t have to go back for a second shot — it’s one and done. The catch is that it’s only proved to be 66% effective in preventing COVID cases.

But, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is only 66% effective in preventing the contraction of COVID, it was proven to be nearly 100% effective in preventing COVID hospitalizations.

It’s recommended for people aged 18 years and older.

All of them are free from eggs, latex, or preservatives, but they have potential side effects that you should be prepared for. So, click those links and do your research so that you know what to expect.

The Ohio Department of Health has great information on what the vaccination plan is for the state, as well as resources for scheduling an appointment. If you have a TriHealth account, which most students do since you log into it when visiting the Student Health Center, you can schedule an appointment in clinics that are within 30 miles of Oxford.

Miami University doesn’t currently have the ability to vaccinate students on a large scale, so you’re going to have to do your own digging to find out where to get yours.

Appointments are filling up fast, so it’s important to schedule sooner rather than later, or look into scheduling an appointment near your hometown if it looks like you’re not going to be able to get your second dose by the end of the semester.

If you’re eager but can’t find an appointment within the next two weeks, call one of the vaccine clinics and ask to be put on a waitlist. People cancel appointments or fail to show up all the time, which gives way for you to take their spot.

All in all, you have a lot of options for what vaccine to get, when to get it and where to get it. It’s a great problem to have, but it makes educating yourself that much more important.

Keep trying to go get your vaccine, whichever one it may be, because it’s the right thing to do for the collective health of our community.