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I am relieved to write that I have, as of mid-April, been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Although I am happy to have been fortunate enough to receive the vaccine, the shot came with mixed emotions. There’s guilt—why should I be inoculated while so many others in vulnerable populations in the US and beyond are still waiting their turns? There’s anticipation—will I suffer some of the mildly ill effects that some recipients of second doses have reported? There’s also a sense of participating in history: like my ancestors before me, I feel proud to contribute to stemming the destructive tide of an infectious disease. My forebears did their parts to diminish the threats of smallpox and polio, and I feel a certain historical connection to them, doing my small part to ease the transition from the tumult of the past year into a post-pandemic world.
But ...
