Ever since we were still in our mother’s arms, they had been obediently taking us to the Public Health Center to get us our regular doses of vaccines. When we were still in school, teachers had taught us how important vaccinations are. You still remember some examples of vaccines that our teachers mentioned to us in one of those Science classes, don’t you? Hepatitis vaccine, measles vaccine, polio vaccine are some of the examples that sound familiar to us. Or, do you remember Bulan Imunisasi Anak Sekolah? Health workers came straight to the school to inject the vaccine into our upper arm and most of the time the classroom became a little bit chaotic because of that.
Now the Covid-19 vaccine is here. For those who are eligible to be vaccinated, don't waste this chance! With this Covid-19 vaccination, we aim to make our immune system become stronger to fight the coronavirus and finally, the pandemic will be over as soon as possible. Let's dig deeper into the reasons why you should get the Covid-19 vaccine!
What is the Covid-19 Vaccine?
One of the main components of a vaccine is an antigen, a harmless, inactivated, small component of a pathogen. This antigen plays an important role in forming antibodies which will become a crucial part of our immune system. The antibodies that have been formed will train our immune system and make it "smarter" in recognizing viruses that enter our body.
There are thousands of different antibodies living inside our bodies. Its main job is to protect us from a disease that already formed an antibody in our body. When we are exposed to a new virus for the first time, our immune system needs time to respond and produce new antibodies to fight the virus. In this phase, we are prone to become sick. This explains the condition of people with Covid-19. Their bodies are not yet armed with the antibodies as a defense system to fight the coronavirus, so when they are exposed to the virus, they become ill.
Typically, after getting one or two doses of vaccine, we would be protected from a disease for many years or even for a lifetime. Without vaccines, we are at risk of getting serious illnesses or disabilities caused by, for example, measles, meningitis, tetanus, and so on. According to WHO, it is estimated that vaccines save between 2 up to 3 million lives each year.
That’s why, Covid-19 vaccination is an effective way to end the spread of Covid-19 and also as a mean to preventative care. However, one thing you need to keep in mind is that no vaccine provides 100% protection. There is still a possibility of catching the disease, but the effects will not be as severe as not being vaccinated. The highlight is, the Covid-19 vaccine will form a new antibody which will protect us from the coronavirus.
Why Should You Get Vaccinated?
Did you know that not everyone can be vaccinated? People who have serious illnesses, allergies, and those who are in vulnerable age are generally not advised to get vaccines because they have a tendency for complications. Those who cannot be vaccinated are pinning their hopes onto us—who are eligible to be vaccinated—so that the spread of this virus will be put to an end. When you are vaccinated, there is a low possibility of getting infected with a certain disease. Thus, there would be a low possibility as well for you to transmit the disease to other people. By getting ourselves the Covid-19 vaccination, we are not only saving our own life, but also protecting those who are vulnerable.
On another important note, vaccination will accelerate the form of herd immunity. The more people get vaccinated, the faster we could reach the threshold for herd immunity. Herd immunity, also known as population immunity is a condition when a population is immune from an infectious disease which is achieved through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection. Herd immunity is achieved by protecting people from viruses through vaccination, and not by transmitting the virus to the people. Our government has set a target of 70% of Indonesians to get Covid-19 vaccination to form herd immunity. If we have reached the threshold for herd immunity, there will be less transmission of this disease, and obviously more lives will be saved.
Smartcitizen, please do remember that the Covid-19 vaccine is not a medicine to Covid-19. Rather, it’s an effort to shield ourselves from the effect of the virus that causes Covid-19. Always, always, practice a healthy lifestyle and don’t ever leave our responsibility to always wear a mask, wash hands frequently, and stay at home. Don’t let your guards down before everyone gets vaccinated!
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