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Why a hesitant Virginia dad got the COVID-19 vaccine

Gary Williams Jr. weighed his options as the pandemic unfolded. Here's what changed his mind.

WASHINGTON — Have you been vaccinated? It’s a question you might be hearing a lot recently.

One that touches on a very personal choice that millions of people are weighing right now.

Virginia dad and entrepreneur Gary Williams Jr. is a husband, father of two and co-founder of the Creative Theory Agency, based in DC.

But for Williams, getting vaccinated against COVID-19 was not a clear choice.

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"If I’m being honest, we were a little hesitant,” Williams said, reflecting on how he felt when the COVID-19 vaccines first became available. 

"I know they did this in record time, you know, which was a little concerning."

Williams said his feelings started to change when his stepmother, who is a nurse, chose to get the shot.

"I had a discussion with her about it and understanding that she was comfortable with it led me to be like, okay, I can do it," Williams said. 

Conversations with coworkers who were vaccinated also put him more at ease, he said. 

RELATED: 'Get your shot for a shot to win' | Maryland gives away $2 million to vaccinated residents

Now, Williams is looking ahead.

"I’m super excited to be able to hang out with family, hug people again, really show affection to folks and travel and just experience the world like we were prior to covid," Williams said.

Even with those perks, Williams said it’s ultimately a choice he's making for the people he loves.

"I am getting it for my family," he said. "I come [to work], I go home, so that would be the number one reason for sure. To protect them, protect myself and then protect my team members here as well."

Everyone 12 and up is now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. 

This article is part of WUSA9's Got My Shot series, produced in partnership with the Black Coalition Against Covid.

   

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