When Leader reporter Katelynn Mary Skaggs checked out a recent Comtrea vaccination clinic, she was struck by the joy she saw among the people “getting the jab.” Many of them gushed about the prospect of visiting family again and taking part in other social activities they’ve missed since the pandemic struck Jefferson County in March 2020.
With nearly 570,000 Americans dead from the virus, it’s been a depressing and stressful 13 months, so I, too, felt an overwhelming sense of joy after receiving my second dose of the vaccine two weeks ago.
After more than a year holed up at home, with hardly any outings other than a few short, masked trips to a store or bank, I can’t wait to get out into the world again.
That doesn’t mean I’ll be throwing out all my masks and marching into large crowds, but I’ve already started filling up next month’s calendar with activities that in the pre-COVID world wouldn’t have seemed particularly eventful, but now feel like a raucous party I can’t wait to attend.
First on my calendar is an appointment with my hairstylist and one of my dearest friends. Those visits are as much about catching up and drinking a glass of wine as they are about my hair, and we’ll have more time than usual to visit at next week’s appointment because it will take a while to cover the dark roots I’ve allowed to take over during the past several months.
The very next day, I’ll have an exciting visit to the dentist, after putting off the cleaning and checkup I typically have every six months but have avoided for more than a year. That will leave me with a whiter smile for the following week when I visit the optometrist for a checkup and a new pair of glasses, again which I have put off because of this dreaded virus.
I’m pretty sure I need a stronger prescription, but that will allow me to better see my parents when they return from Florida just in time for a Mother’s Day celebration. I haven’t been able to share hugs with them or my siblings and their families since Christmas 2019. While I’ve seen my parents and brother and sister a few times over the past year, it’s always been outdoors and socially distanced.
All of us now have the chance to return to those up-close visits with our loved ones without worrying about spreading a deadly virus to them or contracting it ourselves, but the vaccination is the key. Scientists and medical experts say it’s pretty safe for vaccinated people to gather together in small groups, even indoors and without masks.
My vaccine card is full, so I’m ready to make up for lost time and have lots of visits with my vaccinated family members and friends this spring and summer. I’m also looking forward to returning to Leader World Headquarters in Festus next month.
Unlike many Americans who have suffered job losses because of the pandemic, I was one of the lucky ones who not only got to keep my job, but also could work from home. So, I haven’t been in the office since March 2020, other than for a couple of quick, masked stop-ins to pick up something I needed.
While there are some definite perks to working from home, like wearing sweatpants and forgoing a blow dry and commute every morning, I’m eager to again work alongside other Leader staff, an intelligent and funny bunch of people.
I’m also longing to resume some favorite pastimes, like traveling and attending concerts and other events where crowds gather indoors. Unfortunately, I can’t see myself making those leaps until a large percentage of the population is vaccinated. Many experts say at least 70 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated before herd immunity can be achieved.
About 42 percent of the U.S. population had received at least one dose of the vaccine as of Sunday, and close to 28.5 percent were fully vaccinated, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Jefferson County, though, only 26.7 percent of us had received at least one dose of the vaccine, and just 17.4 percent had been fully vaccinated as of Monday, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported. That’s low compared with other communities around the country. In St. Louis County, for example, about 39 percent of its population had received one dose, and 26 percent had been fully vaccinated.
I know some people are afraid to get the vaccine, but medical experts across the world say the vaccines are safe and wildly successful at preventing people from contracting the virus. Like most vaccines, they’re not 100 percent effective, though, so some vaccinated people may still get COVID-19, but if they do, it’s unlikely they’ll die, or even get seriously sick.
Like the polio vaccine before it, the COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to curb a deadly disease. In the 1950s, people realized the importance of the polio vaccine and considered it their civic duty to get it and eradicate the terrible disease. And, it worked. Since 1979, the U.S. has been polio-free.
So, please, if you can, get the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s the best way for all of us to return to something resembling normal and again share our lives up close and personal with the ones we love.
It’s also the best way to get people back to work and improve our economy.
