COVID-19 has been devastating the health of millions of people around the globe and causing untold damage to the economy for many months. Teams of researchers have been working tirelessly on developing an effective vaccine since the outbreak of the pandemic, and we are on the threshold of a breakthrough. However, a large proportion of our society has been expressing concerns about the vaccine. In this statement, we discuss the possible risks and explain why vaccination is the only rational choice which will help us emerge from the pandemic, save the lives and health of countless people and limit the damage already inflicted on the economy.