Do your part

Some people say that the COVID vaccines coming out have been rushed. That they shouldn’t be used because they could be dangerous. But really, these vaccines have been a work in progress since 2003, after the first SARS outbreak.

But even though their production was stopped before the testing phase due to lack of funding, they chose the spike protein as a potential vaccine target 20 years ago! This vaccine has not been rushed, and it has been properly tested. Does getting the vaccine mean you for sure won’t get COVID? No, but it means that it will be less of a problem if you do get it.

Also, masks. I get it, most people don’t like to wear them. But I don’t understand the big deal in doing so. I see so many people who “wear” masks, but they wear them on their chins, or below their noses. My question to them is, how hard is it to pull it up? It has been proven that you get the exact same amount of oxygen as normal. Even if you don’t believe it’s helping anything, could you do it for those of us who do? And who knows, maybe it will save your life, or the life of someone you love.

Now is not a time to become more divided. And I know that is a very cliche statement, but it’s true. And if we can come together, we might just pull through this faster. Please, do your part!

Mackenzie Baertlein

Spokane