By Josh Bergeron
It wasn’t long after I got my booster vaccination for COVID-19 that I felt bad.
Fatigue hit first. Then a little cough. Chest pain came later. Overall, it was a significant response, said my doctor. I sought medical treatment to make sure I was fine and wondered if I had contracted COVID-19 just before the injection. My reaction was worse than the second shot in April.
For many people, vaccination against COVID-19 is a choice, not a requirement for work or training. And most people who live in Rowan County have chosen not to get vaccinated – most recently, only 42% were fully vaccinated. Even if they had previously had COVID-19, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published last year, unvaccinated people have less protection from hospitalization and death than vaccinated people.
I have no intention of preaching about why others should should get vaccinated, but I’m glad I chose to do it. I am overweight, have a family history of health, and likely have some undiagnosed problems myself as I am generally reluctant to see a doctor. My chances are worse with a severe case than with a fit, healthy 29-year-old man.
Other treatments have worked for COVID-19, including monoclonal antibodies. Being a healthy young adult is good. Critical conversations about the COVID-19 vaccines have flourished in American culture too – especially as more people became eligible to receive them. As a result, there was a time when I was hesitant about getting the booster.
But the vaccine – two doses of the Pfizer vaccine plus the booster – felt like the best way to get me, my family, and the people that I work with to protect. When it came time to make decisions, I couldn’t give a specific reason why I wasn’t getting it. It was just a general, uncomfortable feeling.
It is now common knowledge that the vaccine won’t stop you from getting all of COVID-19, but the vaccine has kept countless numbers of people out of the hospital and saved countless lives . Regular statistics from government officials and health systems show that the vast majority of people in hospital, intensive care, and life support are unvaccinated. Three of us at the Post tested positive for COVID-19 last week and haven’t experienced any severe symptoms. All three are vaccinated.
As I type this, I will be on about the fourth day of symptoms. It’s been two days since I tested positive. I had my fair share of hot tea, rest, water, and mucinex. They all helped.
Even with these, it was sometimes difficult to just get out of bed in the morning. I sneezed so often in a row that it was difficult to count, and I had a light cough, tiredness, throbbing headache, uncomfortable sinus and mucus drainage, and a heavy night’s sleep.
But these are fine symptoms, if the alternative is a higher one There is risk of hospitalization or death.
I have two siblings in college and look forward to seeing their graduation and their careers. I like the rest of my family best and would prefer to have more memories with them.
Everyone will get COVID-19 at least once, it seems, but it is good for my family to know that I have one have a high chance of getting to the other side without hospitalization, lifelong health effects, or death. I can trust that too.
Even for people who strongly oppose vaccinations, the COVID-19 pandemic should be a wake-up call to get healthy – eat right and exercise. I will do that in 2022.
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