Vaccine Fraud | Aimee Han

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article do not reflect the opinions of Pulse Magazine as a whole.

With the recent FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine, there are arguably little excuses left for those who are unvaccinated to not receive the vaccine. Although the long-term effects of the vaccine are unclear, the short-term effect of protecting the lives of others, especially those more susceptible to the effects of Coronavirus, should without a doubt be enough to take the shot. After all, wouldn’t the benefits of taking the vaccine as a step towards ending the pandemic outweigh any potential costs?

According to those included in the approximate 52.7% of the U.S. population that is fully vaccinated, these benefits outweigh the costs. For the remaining 47.3% who refuse to take the vaccine and are completely capable of receiving one, I sincerely hope you consider the risks you are taking. Freedom is not true freedom if it comes at the cost of the wellbeing of doctors and nurses at hospitals who have been battling the effects of the virus for the past seventeen months. Refusing the vaccine cannot simply be a “personal choice,” especially if it comes at the expense of others’ lives or the cost of others losing their loved ones.

Earlier this week, a woman named Chloe Mrozak from Illinois attempting to enter Hawaii was caught and arrested by the Safe Travels Program in Honolulu Hawaii for forging her vaccine card; this was an attempt to enter Hawaii and avoid the mandatory 10-day quarantine. The passenger misspelled the Moderna vaccine on the forged card as “Maderna”. At first glance, this is quite hilarious for the passenger to go as far as to forge a vaccine card rather than simply taking a couple minutes of her day to get the vaccine. In the same sense, it can be infuriating. To go as far as to forge a vaccine card and run the risk of spreading the virus to others is almost equivalent to learning morse code with a peer to cheat during a history test. Just as those students were most likely better off studying, this woman would’ve been better off just getting the vaccine.

Another frustrating point about this story is that the woman almost got away with it. This passenger is probably not just one rotten apple in a batch of twenty, meaning plenty of other Americans must have been getting away with their unvaccinated status and taking advantage of the social benefits of the vaccine. Such social benefits include incentives to motivate unvaccinated Americans to get vaccinated, such as the lifting of mask mandates or the gift of two free donuts everyday at Krispy Kreme. Those unvaccinated like Mrozak can, in some sense, reap the benefits of being vaccinated without contributing to the necessary measures needed to end the pandemic. Similar to how the original lockdown in the spring of 2020 extended past the originally planned three week spring vacation, it seems as if millions of people are suffering the consequences from those choosing to remain unvaccinated. This is comparable to how kindergarten teachers take away rewards like extra recess time from their kindergarten students when a couple students repeatedly exhibit inappropriate behavior.

And so with that being said, I remain cautiously optimistic that more and more people are feeling more comfortable and motivated to become fully vaccinated. These personal choices run the risk of not only extending the pandemic, but furthering the death toll and eliminating time deserved that people have with their loved ones. So, instead of forging a vaccine card and acting like the student who cuts corners and cheats, maybe it’s finally time to take a deep breath and get vaccinated. It’ll save lives.

For those looking for knowledge pertaining to the nuances of the vaccine and/or are considering getting it, here is a helpful source.