Clinicians, researchers, trial participants, and others all worked very hard over the past year to develop the currently available vaccines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, about two-thirds of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. While this is promising, more is needed to slow and ultimately stop the pandemic.

Mark J. Mulligan, MD, director of NYU Langone’s Vaccine Center and one of the principal investigators on the Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine trials, writes about his thoughts on the state of vaccinations in the United States in an op-ed for New York Daily News.

Dr. Mulligan shares his opinions on how and why we need to get the remainder of eligible Americans vaccinated. Simple, focused community engagement helps combat misinformation that has been spread about vaccines and helps educate those who have concerns.

Taking the vaccine both offers self-protection against COVID-19 and is an altruistic act that provides benefits to everyone with whom you come into close contact. Because you are protected, they are protected.

“As a doctor, I strongly recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for you if you haven’t received it,” says Dr. Mulligan. “COVID vaccines are easily available and free for all U.S. adults and children 12 years and older. I remain hopeful that now that we have ‘built it,’ most of you who are unvaccinated will decide to get vaccinated—and protected—as soon as possible. In the end, we are all in this together, and we will only get out of this together.”

Read more from the New York Daily News.