Looking back, I think we had about two to three weeks in May – June where things related to the pandemic were looking up. Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths were all trending down. If you were vaccinated you could stop wearing a mask in most situations. The summer ahead looked great.
Then Delta hit – and we all know what happened afterwards.
When my son was five, he came down with something that made him pretty sick. Fever, malaise, swollen glands, sore throat, etc. The pediatrician said it sure looked like mononucleosis (how a five-year-old got mono is still a mystery), but to be sure he needed a blood test.
We explained to my son what needed to be done, and off we went to the lab. Upon arrival we literally had to pry him out of the car – that’s how scared he was of getting blood taken. That’s how scared he was of getting a needle put in his arm to draw blood.
Of course, he survived, and recovered from mono, but I’ll never forget his tiny hands clinging on to the door of the car as we tried to (gently) wrench him free.
Looking at this incident, it makes me wonder how many adults have a fear of needles, and therefore injections.
And when it comes to getting vaccinated – they just “nope” their way out of it because of a fear they first had when they were kids.
Could this be a reason for some of the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy? A simple fear of needles? Could a portion of those saying they won’t get a vaccine because they think the vaccine was rushed and not tested enough simply be hiding behind this reason because what they really fear is the shot itself – not what’s in it?
Who doesn’t love a good conspiracy theory?
Well, for all those who are afraid of needles there is good news.
Merck announced recently that they have developed a pill to treat COVID-19 that reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by about 50%. While the pill is not as effective as the monoclonal antibody intravenous treatment used to treat high-risk people with mild or moderate COVID – the great thing about this treatment is its dosage form – no needles required!
Just to be clear – this isn’t a vaccine – but a treatment for COVID-19. Will those resistant to the vaccine be more amenable to taking a pill? Will their fears of taking a drug they consider to be released too quickly apply to this new pill? Time will tell.
For me, I’m looking forward to more days like we had prior to summer 2020 – when things were finally looking brighter. I sincerely hope we can get there.
Subscribe to our e-Newsletters
Stay up to date with the latest news, articles, and events. Plus, get special offers
from American Pharmaceutical Review – all delivered right to your inbox! Sign up now!