It’s OK If You’ve Changed Your Mind and Now Want to Get a COVID-19 Shot

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Even if you were extremely vocal about your hesitancy to get a COVID-19 vaccine in the past, changing your mind doesn’t make you a hypocrite, it simply means your view has evolved. Andriy Onufriyenko / Getty Images
  • If you’ve been vocal about your hesitation to get the COVID-19 vaccines but now feel differently, it’s OK to change your mind.
  • Relying on new data and information regarding the virus and vaccines is a valid reason to get vaccinated.
  • Changing your mind doesn’t make you a hypocrite, but rather a person willing to evolve.

Everyone changes their mind about things they once felt passionate about.

And shifts around health and wellness are no different — meat eaters become vegetarian, couch potatoes complete marathons, and yes, those who may have been hesitant about getting a COVID-19 vaccine in the past decide to get the shot.

But for some people who changed their minds about the vaccine, letting others know about their decision isn’t always easy.

So was the case for Emily Richards in Arkansas. She was initially hesitant to get the vaccine because she wanted to wait for more medical studies about the COVID-19 virus and the vaccines.

“I wanted more time and more information. I am not in a high-risk group, so I was not sure getting the vaccine would be in my best interest versus letting natural immunity handle the virus,” she told Healthline.

However, after witnessing several people she considers healthy contract the virus and experience lingering symptoms — such as loss of taste and smell, fatigue, and cough — she began to reevaluate.

This, coupled with the numerous studies that followed, which showed the vaccine was effective and safe after millions of people had gotten it, changed her mind. She got the shot in May 2021.

“I was vocal about my hesitation but chose to have the most in-depth conversations and discuss my concerns with educated medical professionals, including my own physician,” Richards said.

“I live in a state that feels very different about the vaccine and [leans toward relying on] personal responsibility [in] preventing the spread of COVID,” she added. “I did not post on social media or advertise that I received the vaccine.”

Source: healthline