For the vast majority of people, getting a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are eligible is a no-brainer.

COVID-19 not only has a high death rate for older persons and those with underlying health conditions, but it also has been shown to have serious after-effects for young, healthy people who experienced only mild symptoms when they contracted the disease.

The ramifications of the health consequences for the so-called COVID long-haulers promises to adversely impact the lives of millions of Americans, as well as burden our society and health care system, for years to come.

However, despite the obvious health risks posed by COVID-19, many of our fellow citizens say they will refuse to get the vaccine. No doubt many of those who tell a pollster that they will not get a vaccine are doing so just to be contrarian. In the end, they will get a vaccine.

But unquestionably there are segments of society on all sides of the political spectrum who are opposed to the idea of vaccinations.

In our view, vaccine-hesitancy in the face of a world-wide pandemic is both inexplicable and sad.

It is inexplicable because the benefits of vaccination are so clear. There is every reason to get it and absolutely no reason to oppose it.

But it also is sad because the vaccine-hesitancy movement shows that so many of our fellow Americans are susceptible these days to rumors, misinformation, and conspiracy theories to the detriment of their own health and that of their loved ones.

The COVID-19 vaccines are a modern scientific miracle. They represent the best avenue of protection for individuals, as well as the only chance for society to overcome the pandemic in order to return our economy to normal.

In addition, with early trials showing that the vaccines are 100 percent safe and effective for older children, a vaccination program for children will assure that our schools can reopen safely. In our view, a COVID-19 vaccine should be required for all children as a condition for returning to school, similar to the requirement that children be vaccinated against other diseases.

We urge all of our readers to get the vaccine as soon as they are eligible under state guidelines.

And to those who have some degree of vaccine-hesitancy for themselves or their children — please stop listening to those wacky and ill-informed opinions on social media.