When I had my babies, I was met with the the idea of having informed consent before they got vaccinated. I thought I was informed because I read the inserts they gave me after my babies were vaccinated. I talked to our pediatrician who always reassured me. I even Googled, “Are vaccines safe?”
So I thought I was informed enough to give my consent to my children’s vaccinations.
Fast forward to 2021 and my husband and I had to make a decision about getting the Covid vaccination. You can’t escape it. It’s everywhere: commercials, information bubbles on social media posts, the news, and every day conversations.
However, I literally knew nothing about this vaccine, except that it is being recommended everywhere I look. So I spent time researching.
Because there’s a big difference between masks and vaccines. A mask can be taken on and off. A vaccine however is injected into the body and there is no going back.
It’s a big decision, and I didn’t want to make it uninformed. I wanted to make an informed decision for MY health.
My research spiraled me into a much deeper understanding of the history of vaccines, viruses, and my over all health for which I’m so grateful. Now, I’m making better decisions for my health and body, and it feels so good!
If you are like me and wanting more information before getting something put in your body, but you have no idea where to start, this post will give you 2 specific things you can do.
You can either use the links I provide, or find your own. No matter what you choose, please be informed before you consent to any vaccine. The same questions can be asked when deciding on getting your children’s routine vaccinations as well.
1. Read and Understand the Ingredients in the Vaccines.
This is public knowledge as it should be. However, I believe the majority of individuals getting the vaccine have no idea what is actually being put in their bodies. Which is pretty crazy when you think about it. If the government handed you a drink and didn’t tell you what was in it, would you drink it? Probably not! You’d want to know what you were ingesting!
Apply that to the vaccine.
As you read the ingredients, you’ll probably come across words that you are not familiar with. So go a step further and look up the ingredient and find out what it is used for.
2. Understand Viruses and Your Body’s Immune System.
Honestly, I knew very little about viruses or how our body’s immune system fights them. Most people were taught a little bit in health class back in school, but do you remember? Could there be more to find out? Science and new findings are happening all the time. Think about all the information that has changed just since March 2020. Let alone, the new findings that are happening today.
Some questions to ask about the virus:
- How are viruses transmitted?
- Am I at risk for being hospitalized for the Covid virus? (ie: over 60, obese, diabetic, cancer, )
- What are the risks associated with getting the Covid virus?
We now know that Covid is between 97-99% recoverable. We know that Covid hits the elderly and the obese the hardest. We know that exercise, limited sugar, and sunshine (vitamin D) are some of the best ways to build your immune system and protect you from Covid.
Helpful links about Covid and Obesity:
Covid 19 and Obesity the 2021 Atlas
Why are the Obese More at Risk for Covid-19?
Questions to ask about the immune system:
- How does the immune system fight viruses?
- How can I increase my overall immune system?
- What else besides the vaccine could protect me from the virus?
- How common are viruses?
Click on the Link for Helpful Information About Viruses:
Learn More About Your Amazing Immune System!
Questions to ask about the vaccine itself:
- What are the known side effects/risks?
- Is it approved by the FDA?
- Will the risks associated with the vaccine outweigh the risks associated with the actual virus?
- Will the vaccine protect me from getting the virus and or spreading it to others?
Helpful links about Vaccines:
Everything an Inquiring Mind Wants to Know About Vaccines
The Important Stuff You Don’t Know About Vaccines
Chances are there’s a lot more you could personally be doing to protect yourself from the Covid virus other than wearing a mask or getting a vaccine. So if you are still on the fence regarding the vaccine, I encourage you to first take positive steps to increase your immunity. Only take the vaccine once you are fully informed and have given your 100 percent consent.
MY PERSONAL OPINION:
I believe we all have the right to choose whether or not to get vaccinated. But I also know there is very little information being shared right now about the effects of the vaccination. In fact, it is beleived that only 1% of vaccine reactions are actually reported.
And social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are strongly censoring anything that that warns against the vaccine by taking down accounts and blocking posts from people who are making no money but only want to share facts to inform others. It makes you wonder why these social media platforms don’t want us to be fully informed before giving consent? Something to think about.
In this post, I’ve tried to give you facts. However, I am personally choosing not to get the vaccine and instead take intentional steps to protect my health. Here’s what I’m doing:
- getting outside everyday
- taking a walk every day
- staying active and less sedentary
- eating less sugar
- getting sleep
- eating more vegetables
- drinking water
For now, I urge you to make YOUR informed decision beyond what the media is telling you. And if you do decide that the benefits to the vaccine outweigh the cons, we can still be friends! I believe we all have a right to an opinion.
Feel free to share yours in the comments. As long as you don’t attack me personally, I’ll keep it up even if it’s different than mine.
Thank you for reading!
4 thoughts on “How to Be Truly Informed Before Consenting to the Covid Vaccine So You Have No Regrets.”
This is a great post, Emily! You’re very brave to put it all out there like that, and I applaud you!
Thank you for reading and your words of encouragement, Whitney!
I agree with your post, Emily. I just want to add that It is also important to know how COVID would impact your family and people in your environment. If you have high risk children or spouse, if you work in an oncology office, if you go to church where people are high risk (especially if you are refusing to wear a mask or respect personal space). The survival rate of the vaccine far exceeds the survival rate of covid. The long term struggles after surviving covid are also largely unreported.
Hi Amy! Thank you for your feedback. You brought up some important points. I’ve heard many people say they got the vaccine because they want to protect those around them. That is certainly a talking point that the government and social media has been using to get more people to take the vaccine. That’s why I encourage everyone to research viruses in general, the Covid virus, and how the the immune system works for themselves. There is always going to be a risk of catching and spreading all kinds of viruses, and we have to understand how to live with them. We are still discovering the long term effects of both Covid and the vaccine. There is a certainly a risk either way. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!