COVID Vaccine – What Does It Mean?

We are very fortunate to live in Arizona where the state is making HUGE strides in getting everyone vaccinated against COVID-19. Recently, we hopped in the car as the sun was setting and headed 45 minutes from home for the second of our two vaccines. The systems in place make the entire process super easy. For both our first and second vaccines, the only wait time was after the shot … for the standard post-vaccination 20 minutes.

As we drove home we chatted about how good it feels to be fully vaccinated. But … what does it really mean? According to everything I’ve read it means IF we get COVID, we should get a much milder (and easy to beat) case. It does NOT mean we can finally hang up our masks and breathe freely again. It does NOT mean we can book a flight and head off to all the places we long to explore.

The world, for the most part, is working hard to get the vaccination distributed. As each country considers its citizens and needs, it is also considering when and how to reopen its borders to visitors once again. A few places are already welcoming tourists, with restrictions. COVID tests are still typically required within a short window of planned travel. Even coming back into the US requires a negative COVID test. 

The COVID vaccine is not a magic bullet to normalcy. It’s not a cure. It’s not even a passport to the world. It MIGHT make it easier to travel. Several countries are looking at waivers for those who’ve been vaccinated — but only looking at this point. Many nations are considering some sort of vaccination passport or internationally recognized document to verify immunizations. 

I’ve had one since I was an infant. As a military kid, we carried our “shot record” with us anytime we traveled. It was proof we’d received all the required disease-fighting serums available at the appropriate age. I don’t remember ever having to use it to gain access to a foreign country, but it did help me avoid a tetanus shot or two as a clumsy kid. 

So … back to the original question … what does it mean? It means peace of mind. It means the possibility of open borders once again. It means you have given your body everything you can (to-date) to fight off a proven killer. In case you need one more person to tell you – it’s the right thing to do. 

There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. Arm yourself (with a shot in the arm!) with everything you can to be safe while you explore it.

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