Written by Jameca Patrick-Singleton
(editor: Tanya Terry)
Photo Courtesy of James Patrick
To take the vaccine or not seems to be the question on the minds of many Flint residents. While some have a strong opinion of why not to take the vaccine, others are extremely motivated to get the shot.
One resident, James Patrick, was determined to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
“As soon as I heard that a vaccine was in the process of being developed, I knew that I was going to take it,” Patrick said. “I watch the news everyday and listen to the radio and I knew that people were dying”
Patrick, like many others, has underlining conditions
“I am a cancer survivor and I have hypertension, congestive heart failure and other medical conditions,” he said. “I survived cancer. I survived heart disease. I don’t want to die from this virus.”
According to data from the New York Times there has been over 700 Coronavirus in Genesee County alone. Though the deaths were one of the motivating factors in getting the vaccine that wasn’t the lone reason.
“I am a retired grandfather and spending time with my grandbabies is my absolute favorite pastime. This pandemic stopped me from being able to do that. Every day, one of my grandchildren are calling and asking when they can come see me. They all understand that there is a deadly virus going around, but they are children. They miss me, and I miss them. I want to live out my golden years in peace with my family, not worrying about getting one another sick.”
Patrick got his first COVID-19 shot on January 6, 2021. His follow up shot was received on February 3, 2021. He received the Moderna vaccine.
“They told me that it takes 14 days after my second shot for the vaccine to be fully working. I can’t wait until February 17th . I can’t wait to see my grandkids again.”
