Why I (a nursing student), am choosing to refrain from getting the COVID vaccine at this time

By no means is this post medical advice, or am I trying to sway anyone from getting the vaccine.

I am a third year RN nursing student in Canada currently attending acute care placements. There has been a lot of pressure from news outlets and government officials to inoculate with the COVID19 vaccine. I have chosen not to get the vaccine at this time, and no, I am not an "anti-vaxxer". All of my vaccinations are up to date and I will continue to get vaccines that are evidently safe.

At this time I am choosing not to get the COVID19 vaccine because of the lack of evidence at this time. This does not mean the vaccine is not safe, it means there is not enough evidence to prove that it is safe. I have been called countless names, "crazy", "conspiracy theorist", "anti-vaxxer", for choosing not to get the vaccine at this time. In my opinion, main stream media outlets and government officials are programming a large portion of the public to see individuals who choose not to vaccinate as "crazy or anti-vaxxers". Every individual has the right to refuse medical treatment however, I have been judged for doing so. This pressure and false-labelling has put a toll on my mental health, it makes me feel like I am unable to make my own choices.

I have heard from other nurses that they are also choosing not to get the vaccine at this time for similar reasons. I must emphasize, these are health-care professionals, they are experts in their field and are familiar with the risks of acquiring COVID-19.

Typically, vaccines go under thorough testing to assess their safety before distribution to the public. I do understand the urgency in speeding up the process however, we are overlooking medium to long-term effects as a result. The COVID19 vaccine is the first mRNA vaccine of its kind to be manufactured and distributed to the public. I am glad we are making progress with vaccinations however, there are still many unknowns.

In the future, after we can gather more evidence I will re-evaluate my decision on receiving the vaccine. At this time, if you are pro-COVID19 vaccination, I urge you not to negatively speak upon others. Similarly, if you are choosing not to get the vaccination please do not speak negatively upon those who do choose to get it.

This is a strange and difficult time for everyone and causing further divide only causes more harm.

If you are interested, you can visit this website which harvests users experience after vaccination:

https://prezi.com/i/byzl22mqwfaa/experiences-following-cvv/