3 weeks ago I was a hard NO to getting the COVID vaccine. And yet here I am . A thread on covid vaccine hesitancy from a Black doctor who believes in science.

I am not an early adaptor. I held onto my flip phone until 2010. So my natural inclination was to say - I’ll wait. See how others do with vaccine before I take it. /2

Layer on top of that the fact that the vaccine seemed like a political tool used by the soon to be former President. I don’t trust him and that made me mistrust the vaccine development process. /3

But then last week we start talking at work about an actual timeline for getting vaccine, and I found out I would be in the first group eligible due to working in the ED, and I realized I had a decision to make. So I started to do a bit more reading. /4

Here’s what clinched it:

reading stories of people on twitter who were in vaccine trials.

Seeing the amazing Black scientists who actually made the vaccine @KizzyPhD

my mom

Reading the NEJM article & seeing no serious side effects at 2 months and this graph:

I weighed all of this, and considered what I know about COVID. What I have seen with my own eyes. The stress/anxiety of the diagnosis, the struggle to breath, death. And then I knew I would say yes to the vaccine. /6

Not gonna lie, my biggest concern is still some rare, severe, yet to be documented long term side effect. But I am going to take that chance because I don’t want to die from COVID. Plus there are already documented, not so rare, long term side effects of COVID itself. /7

Here is an amazing thread by @meganraney about COVID myths and facts that actually covers many of my concerns. I read this after I decided, but it helped confirm I made the right choice. /8 https://twitter.com/meganranney/status/1338841290100903937?s=21

I share this to normalize vaccine hesitancy around COVID, which is very different from vaccine hesitancy for childhood vaccines (my kids are fully vaccinated). It’s okay to be hesitant, take time to gather facts & opinions, and reach a decision. Let’s not forget this is new. /10

I am honored to be among the first to be vaccinated. It’s surreal. But I also hope we can quickly vaccinate non-healthcare front line workers like bus drivers & people who can’t leave their spaces like nursing home res and prisoners.

Me & my amazing colleague waiting in line /11

Lastly, we still need to mask up, stay apart, and pray. This isn’t over but at least there is some light. /fin