Get vaccinated. It’s that simple. We are in the middle of a pandemic and the simple act of getting vaccinated is a small but incredibly powerful act you can take to end the thousands of excess deaths the world has experienced in the last year.

Coronavirus has pointed out the challenges involved in reacting to a pandemic. In the spring of 2020, there were a lot of questions about what to do, what not to do. How do I keep myself and those around me safe?

There was a lot the medical community didn’t know about the virus, which led to a lot of misinformation about the virus. Fortunately, vaccines are very well understood by the medical community, providing us with the evidence and facts to know that the coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective.

If you have concerns about the vaccine, please take the time to research your concerns to be properly informed. We have compiled some online resources for you in this editorial, but the simplest thing to do might be to talk to your doctor.

Getting the vaccine is a choice. Some people may feel like President Joe Biden or the federal government or some other governing body is forcing the vaccine upon the nation. Perception is reality, and if you think that way, you’ll see things that way. Instead, you could think about getting vaccinated as a service to your elderly grandmother or friend with cancer. If you think about getting vaccinated as a step you are taking to protect others, you will respond to that call to action.

Without further ado, here are some common myths and misconceptions about the coronavirus vaccine debunked.

Myth: The first people to get the vaccine are basically guinea pigs receiving a test version of the vaccine. This is false. The vaccine went through the same trials as any other vaccine. Former President Donald Trump’s Operation Warp Speed did not cut any corners or red tape to speed up vaccine production. It dedicated the resources necessary to getting the vaccine produced as quickly as safely possible. The coronavirus vaccine has been tested and is safe for administration.

Myth: You can get COVID-19 from the vaccine. This is also false. To understand this, you must understand how viruses make people sick and how our bodies fight them off. What is important to know is that it doesn’t take the whole virus to elicit an immune response from the body while it does take the whole virus to make you sick. The vaccine puts the parts of the virus in your body that elicit a response, allowing your immune system to produce the antibodies that fight the full virus.

Myth: The vaccine causes autism. No, it does not. This might be the oldest myth about vaccines, but it has been discredited multiple times.

Myth: The vaccine causes infertility. No, it does not. This might be the second oldest myth about vaccines, but it has also been discredited multiple times.

The coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective. If you are a healthy individual, it is imperative that you get vaccinated to protect those around you who are unable to be vaccinated for health or religious reasons and to keep those around you safe from COVID-19.

If enough people get vaccinated, the restrictions will end and life will return to normal. That’s the beauty of science and medicine; they don’t care if you believe in them or not. So just get vaccinated so we can all go back to life as we knew it, please.