California’s young adults are the biggest barrier to COVID immunity. They must get vaccinated

As the country’s vaccination campaign slows and doses go unused, it has become clear that one of the biggest barriers to mass immunity is persuading our generation — those age 18 to 25 — to get vaccinated.

According to a recent study by UCSF researchers, one in four of those aged 18 to 25 who are currently unvaccinated will not get the COVID-19 vaccination. The reasons are myriad, including fear of side effects.

As pharmacy students at University of the Pacific’s Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, we have had the privilege of organizing COVID-19 vaccination clinics throughout Northern California — we have vaccinated more than 11,000 community members. During these clinics, we have heard many concerns and, without a doubt, we can say that any risks from the vaccine are outweighed by the benefits.

One of the biggest causes of concern is the vaccine’s reliability. This stems from the fact that it was created in a time span of less than a year. However, the mRNA vaccine technology is not new. It has been studied before for flu, Zika virus and rabies. That means researchers did not have to start from scratch, which accelerated the process.

Many young adults are also uneasy about potential side effects, including blood clots, fertility issues and, more recently, a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre.

Experts and public health officials maintain that any risks from the vaccine are outweighed by the benefits. The vast majority of side effects are mild — symptoms include arm pain, swelling, tiredness, headache, fever and nausea which subside within a few days. Fortunately, long-term side effects are unlikely, according to the CDC.

Regarding blood clots, researchers have found that there’s actually a greater risk of developing clots from COVID-19 than from the vaccines.

Meanwhile, there is no evidence that any vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccines, affect fertility in women or men, according to the CDC.

What is it going to take for our generation to pull our weight when it comes to getting vaccinated?

For many of us aged 18 to 25, we know we are less likely to face the severest outcomes of COVID-19 and, in some ways, are making a statement of invincibility.

However, unvaccinated young people are fueling an exponential uptick in COVID-19 cases in many states, prompting fears of another surge that could spread throughout the United States. Around the world, young people are also increasingly showing up in intensive care units with life-threatening symptoms. The escalation in cases is a result of the increased spread of the delta variant.

Unfortunately, the longer coronavirus spreads, the more it mutates. And if the mutations are significant — like the delta variant — the healthiest of us are going to get the worst strains.

We all want to get back to normal, especially as many of us are preparing to return to our university campuses this fall. The only way we will be able to enjoy in-person classes, socialize with friends, attend athletics events or return to our regular routines without fear of spreading COVID-19 is by having enough of us get vaccinated.

Our message as pharmacy students to our peers is to make the right decision and get vaccinated. Do it to protect your health and the health of those you love.

It is time for our generation to realize this is our opportunity to answer the call and make an altruistic statement by getting vaccinated.