Sure there are risks with any vaccine, as there were back in 1955 when Jonas Salk created the polio vaccine. But, what's the alternative? Polio was also a virus, and that vaccination effort was one of the most successful endeavors in human history. People will only social distance for so long, and many will stop wearing face masks when out in public. As a father of two adult sons who became scientists, I see how hard my youngest son (who is a molecular and cell biologist) works -- six days a week, 13 hour days in the lab, as they march forward towards the development of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. I fully trust the scientific community in this area, but I respect the decision of any one who feels uncomfortable with getting a vaccine.

Please note that the initial findings from the first human trials have found the first generation of COVID-19 vaccines to be "safe, well-tolerated, and able to generate an immune response in humans by producing virus-specific antibodies and T-cells within 14 days of inoculation. I suggest reading an online publication called 'The Lancet' to keep up on COVID-19 vaccine developments. It's a scientific website for scientists, but not so technical that it's hard to understand for the general public. I want to get back to St. Maarten as bad as anyone, but I want to do it safely and without the possibility of bringing this virus back to SXM.