Julia Maher ’23

Opinions Editor

There has been quite a lot of disinformation regarding coronavirus vaccinations, which has led to a lack of confidence in the public about the safety of them. The vaccines are safe, and the Holy Cross community should have a sense of confidence in them so that we can all have a safe, healthy, and happy return to campus this upcoming school year.

Since Holy Cross required immunizations for influenza and many other diseases, it is only logical that the College requires them for COVID-19. Covid is far deadlier than influenza, and we are in the middle of the pandemic. In order to safely return, all students who are able to get the vaccine should be required to do so.

Some people believe that the vaccinations are unsafe and they are not tested enough to be administered. This is incorrect. Rampant disinformation like this circulates in groups that are prone to believing in conspiracy theories and opposing science. There is a lot of evidence to debunk this claim. First, back during the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s, health officials had already begun research into this type of vaccine. This gave us a base starting point into the development of the coronavirus vaccines, and we already knew they were safe because SARS is very similar to COVID-19. Second, the vaccines have been tested on more than 43,000 people (Mayo Clinic). This ensures that the vaccines are safe. Since Holy Cross students are very intelligent, they should make the wise decision to get vaccinated. Furthermore, Holy Cross is a popular pre-med school, so students should take science seriously and not believe in conspiracy theories or the excuse that “vaccines take away my freedom.” Very much on the contrary, getting vaccinated will give you more freedom. You will be able to do many more activities with more than 90% protection against the coronavirus, and once we get enough people vaccinated, we can start to live our lives normally again. In order to have a safe and healthy return to campus for next school year, it is absolutely imperative that all Holy Cross students who are able to receive the coronavirus vaccine get it. Not only will it protect you against the coronavirus, but it will also establish herd immunity and protect students who are physically unable to receive the vaccine due to medical conditions. Let’s have a great return to campus this coming school year! I can’t wait to see you all on campus again.