Habbiena Gaye ENG 101
Argumentative Essay
By IHabbiena Howard Gaye
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Habbiena Gaye
StraighterLine Professor
Argumentative Essay
16 February 2022
Why People Should Take the COVID-19 Vaccine
The COVID-19 pandemic brought a standstill in business, education, and social
interactions due to the fear of increasing infection rates. The disease began in Wuhan province,
China, and spread rapidly, increasing fear among nations, leaders, and citizens. In response to
this, scientists and researchers set out to develop vaccines to prevent the fast infection rates of
the virus. Most governments have encouraged their citizens to get vaccinated despite the
resistance from some people due to the side effects. While opponents of the COVID-19 vaccine
argue that the vaccines are not safe, the pros of taking the vaccine, including preventing
infection, transient side effects, and herd immunity, outweigh the cons.
The COVID-19 vaccines actively prevent people from getting infected with the virus.
The vaccines help the immune system by strengthening it and preparing to fight the disease when
a person contracts the virus or gets into contact with infected people. According to the Center for
Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), there are three categories of the COVID-19 vaccine.
First, there are the mRNA vaccines, which contain material from the COVID-19 causing virus.
The vaccines instruct the human cells on making harmless proteins unique to the virus and
remember how to fight the virus causing the disease. Second, there are the protein subunit
vaccines, which contain harmless proteins of the COVID-19 virus and help the body recognize
and remember how to fight the virus in case they are infected. Last is the vector vaccines, which
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are made up of a modified version of another virus apart from the one that causes COVID-19.
Inside the modified vaccine’s shell contains the material from the virus causing COVID-19 and
instructs the human genetic material to make proteins that prompt the building of T- and B-
lymphocytes, which fight the virus during infection (Centers for Disease Prevention and
Control). Providing this knowledge to the public audience will help people take charge of their
lives by deciding to get vaccinated.
The side effects people experience from the COVID-19 vaccine are transient and are not
an indication of a person being unwell. After being vaccinated, an individual may experience
various side effects such as minor fever, body pains, weariness, and headache. However, the side
effects do not signify that an individual has contracted the COVID-19 virus (Golden, para. 4).
The short-term symptoms indicate that the person’s body is learning to recognize the coronavirus
so that it can fight it in the future when it attacks. If individuals get infected with the virus having
not been vaccinated, they might develop more severe symptoms that can last longer and
eventually cause death. The public audience needs to understand that the vaccines are entirely
safe since the vaccine-developing companies have received approval from the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for global human consumption.
Taking the COVID-19 vaccine protects not only an individual but also the community at
large. Maximum vaccination rates allow for herd immunity, which entails getting vaccinated to
protect other members of society, especially the old and vulnerable. Older adults and people
living with existing chronic medical conditions are at higher risk of contracting the virus and
dying from the disease because their immune systems are weak and incapable of fighting the
disease (Centers for Disease Prevention and Control). Therefore, it is crucial for every
individual, especially the younger population, to get vaccinated for the good of the entire society.
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As a result of the outbreak and spread of COVID-19, most countries implemented lockdown
measures which saw many businesses get closed and thousands of people lose their jobs. Due to
rising bills, people were forced to find new ways of earning money to settle their bills since it
was uncertain when the pandemic would end. However, it is projected that the more vaccinated
people, the more likely it is for more countries to return to their normal state. Overall, getting
vaccinated will contribute to society's way of life and ensure businesses return to normal.
Opponents of the COVID-19 vaccines argue that they are not safe for various reasons.
First, they say that the vaccines are associated with side effects, including severe headaches,
which might lead to death. However, this is not true because scientists and researchers posit that
the side effects are only transient and do not indicate that one is infected. Secondly, opponents
argue that the vaccines were developed quickly, hence the likelihood of the lack of safety.
However, Golden (para. 3) explains that while the vaccines were developed quickly, they were
tested for consumer safety and efficacy before being released into the market.
In conclusion, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and more people should get vaccinated to
enable our return to normalcy. The vaccines have proven their effectiveness in protecting people
by enhancing their immune systems. The vaccines are developed in different ways, including
mRNA, protein subunit, and vector vaccines. Also, the side effects of the vaccines are only
transient and go away after a few days, proving that an individual has not been infected.
Furthermore, getting the vaccine protects a single individual and the community at large through
herd immunity. Lastly, the notion that vaccines are not safe is not true because they have all been
tested for safety and efficacy before being approved for human consumption.
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Works Cited
"Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work". Centers For Disease Control And Prevention,
2022, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/how-they-
work.html#:~:text=mRNA%20vaccines%20(Pfizer%2DBioNTech%20or,genetic%20mat
erial%20from%20the%20vaccine.
Golden, Sherita Hill. "COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: 12 Things You Need To
Know". Hopkinsmedicine.Org, 2021,
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid19-
vaccine-hesitancy-12-things-you-need-to-know.
