The covid jab was the first vaccine I ever had.
Hi, I’m Alexis. I used to be a hardcore antivaxxer. I’ve never had a single vaccine in my life until I got my first covid shot a few weeks ago.
In the past year I’ve been forced to re-examine everything I thought I knew. Not just about vaccines but about everything in my life. I was born into the cult of Waldorf and spoon fed misinformed by everyone around me from a very early age. Later I got into the new-age world where all the lies I had learned to believe were confirmed. I fit right in.
Until covid hit and most of my friends and community started promoting conspiracy theories. Until QAnon tried to make me believe that Donald Trump is our lord and savior. Until I had a kid with someone who is pro vax. Until the cognitive dissonance became too strong. I had to re-examine my beliefs. And I found out that I was wrong. Vaccines are not dangerous, as I thought. Vaccines are safe and save so many lives.
It was not the conclusion I expected to make and definitely not the one I wanted. But there’s no way I can believe the antivaxxer lies anymore. I’ve lost friends, community and my feelings of where I belong in the world. But I can’t ignore the facts anymore.
It’s been absolutely agonizing and heartbreaking to witness so many people I know fall prey to the misinformation. I feel so sad for them because they honestly believe they have solid information, they don’t see how it’s harmful. And I’m so angry at the folks who create and monetize disinformation, they all have covid blood on their hands and they literally don’t care.
Personally, I’m embarrassed that I ever believed such obvious lies. But beyond that, I now know that I have endangered other people with my unvaccinated status. I’m still processing this...
I hope that my story can help people who are vaccine hesitant. There is a group of hardcore antivaxxer who will never change their minds. I’m not wasting any time on them. But all the people who have been exposed to enough antivax propaganda to be afraid but not enough to give up on science and leave consensus reality completely, those are the ones I’m hoping to help.
I’ve been sharing my story on Instagram @AlexisAndTheVax for anyone who is curious or is still on the fence about getting vaxxed. I really just want as many of us as possible to get vaccinated and this is my humble contribution ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/alexisandthevax/
You’re welcome to ask me anything if you’re curious about my journey and how / why I changed my mind about vaccines 😊 I’ll do my best to answer based on my experience, with the hope that it can help others feel as amazing about getting vaccinated as I did. Or at least not afraid. Because the way I see it now, vaccines are a blessing, a privilege and and a real fucking medical miracle.