Scott Walker
Wearing a helmet and getting a COVID-19 shot. I do both for the same reason: They reduce my risk of serious injury or death.
Neither is a perfect protection. Staying healthy requires a series of smart decisions on my part, but both a helmet and a COVID-19 vaccine certainly improve my odds of avoiding suffering or even death.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that a motorcycle rider not wearing a helmet is 40% more likely to suffer a fatal head injury and 15% more likely to acquire a nonfatal head injury than a rider with a helmet on. With these facts in mind, I always wear a helmet when on my motorcycle.
The precautions I take on a motorcycle help me safely enjoy my ride and spend time with family and friends. These are the same types of reasons I got the COVID-19 shot months ago.
The medical experts at Mayo Clinic note that the COVID-19 vaccine helps prevent people from getting COVID-19 or from becoming seriously ill or dying due to it. The vaccine also helps keep people from spreading the virus to others. As more people receive the vaccine, it becomes harder for the disease to spread, and that helps with herd immunity.
Critics of the vaccine claim that the process was rushed and is not safe. Medical experts at Johns Hopkins Health, however, note that, “studies found that the two initial vaccines are both about 95% effective — and reported no serious or life-threatening side effects.” They highlight a number of reasons why the COVID-19 vaccines could be developed so quickly:
