I really, really can't wait to get back out to pubs and restaurants and theatres and cinemas and gigs, to go on holiday and be able to travel places on a whim.
I can't wait until I can get the vaccine but, more importantly, I can't wait until we can ALL get the vaccine.
Because that's how it works. It's about herd immunity, raising the resistance against the infection to a high enough level that the virus can no longer spread and survive.
And that's probably in excess of 90% of the population that needs to be protected.
There are people who simply can't take the vaccine - mostly if they're immunocompromised through diseases or other treatments (for example, many chemotherapies for cancer absolutely fucks your immune system so you simply can't take vaccinations) - so it's all the more important for the rest of us to accept the vaccine as soon as it becomes available.
And I am sick of hearing about the "risk" of taking the vaccine; it is incredibly low, all forms of available vaccine are thoroughly tested and been demonstrated beyond doubt to be safe.
Completely, 100% free from any risk? No. Nothing it, but it is a matter of weighing relative risks. When seatbelts were first introduced some of the major car companies argued that they would prevent people escaping a trapped vehicle and cause more danger - something that has been shown to be absolutely complete nonsense. It *could* happen, but wearing a seatbelt is far, far, far more likely to save your life than endanger it - which is why wearing one is mandatory.
And with vaccines it isn't just about protecting yourself; it's about protecting everyone else - the people on cancer meds who can't take the vaccine, or the few people who have allergies to it, or our elderly relatives with severe health issues and weakened systems who the virus is way more likely to kill.
Oh, and while I guess I have to accept people's personal autonomy if they choose not to vaccinate - although I cannot respect the decision - I think anyone who encourages others to do so is deplorable.
