We at The Daily Eastern News hear and agree with our readers who are ready to stop dealing with COVID-19, but we would encourage them to take the steps to make that possible.

Just because we’re all ready to take off the masks and be close to our friends again does not mean that we can do that without ensuring protection for our communities.

Even though they have somehow become a political issue, vaccines are an important part of that protection.

Research and data is readily available to confirm the safety and reliability of COVID-19 vaccines, but many people are willfully ignoring that information and refusing to get a shot.

Epidemiologists say at least 70 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated to reach any kind of herd immunity, and that won’t happen until everyone who is able to get vaccinated does so.

If you’re someone who is complaining about masks or other guidelines and has yet to get vaccinated, you just aren’t taking the steps to get what you want.

At some point, calls to care for your community have become irrelevant; if you’re still ignoring advice from doctors and scientists, you’re going out of your way to inconvenience yourself.

Many people can’t get vaccinated due to age or health issues, or they may still be at high risk because they’re immunocompromised or elderly.

If you don’t see the point in helping them, at least try to see the point in getting yourself out of the mask.