I am also conflicted about getting the vaccine and I’m semi front line worker (pharmacy). I’ve talked to so many pharmacist about getting the vaccine about 80% don’t want to take it and the other 20% are all in. Doctors maybe take like 1 or 2 semesters of pharmacology these pharmacist go thru years of classes so I accept their knowledge a little bit more. Their biggest thing is the speed of the vaccines approval they feel more testing is needed
I am a healthcare worker (physical therapist) and I was speaking to a patient who is an epidemiologist who stated that although we do not have long term studies on the effects of the vaccine, the vaccine itself is a safe way to combat the virus. apparently vaccines themselves can be created within days in a laboratory but the studies tend to take longer (1-2 years) and the process of approval from the FDA can take even longer (up to 10 years). He stated that having such a long approval process is the norm but it SHOULDN'T be the norm. The only reason why people are hesitant is because the vaccine seems "rushed" compared to OTHER drugs that have hit the market historically, but that should NOT be the norm. It is not normal that it takes so long for medicine to come out and usually these projects are stuck on FDA/government desks forever to be signed and move on in the approval process. The COVID vaccine went through all of the other federal guidelines that other drugs have gone through but it just sped up the approval process which makes it seem rushed.
TLDR
- COVID vaccine seems rushed but it has gone through the same process as all other drugs
- We do not know the long term side effects due to the virus and drug being so new, but all studies have indicated so far that it is safe for most of the population (unless the patient has specific allergies)
- It should not be a norm that drugs take 5-10 years to receive approval
- Most new drugs take longer to hit the market because FDA and other government guidelines delay the roll out, not because the drug itself is unsafe or not good