Warning, boring post alert. Here's a short history of vaccination which I expect most will find a very dull.
Smallpox was declared globally eradicated in 1977. It is estimated that half a billion people died from smallpox in the last century. Yes, 500 million people, not the pissy 3 million attributed to COVID. On average, 5 million every year.
Several hundred years ago, inoculation was the only way of reducing small-pox related deaths. Like COVID-19, another Chinese innovation.
Inoculation is a process whereby a very small number of live but usually weakened live virus are given to healthy individuals who then make enough antibodies to become immune. Inoculation had around 2% to 3% mortality because it was a live virus.
In the late 18th century, Edward Jenner discovered that he could use contaminated objects touched by those suffering with cowpox to give immunity against small pox. This 'vaccine' had significantly lower mortality than inoculation and it eventually led to the complete eradication of the smallpox.
Cowpox has a similar protein chain as smallpox and tgw body's immune system manufactured antibodies which were effective against smallpox. This is how most modern vaccines work, give or take a couple of minor details which I can tell you about if you really have trouble sleeping.
As a bonus, small pox has an incredibly low rate of mutation which certainly helped with its eradication. The cowpox vaccine would still work today if the last known strain of smallpox miraculously reappeared.
However, COVID-19 only has a relatively low rate of mutation, a lot lower than other Coronavirus and also significantly lower than influenza. But it is definitely mutating.
Crudely, the key to eradicate any virus is to vaccinate significant numbers in a time-scale shorter than the virus's mutation period so that the vaccination is still effective even for early mutations. This stops the virus propogating successfully.
It is important to note that all viruses mutate if they are allowed to reproduce. Other than full quarantine, vaccination is the most effective way to stop reproduction.
Whilst I accept that everyone has the right to refuse vaccination, they should also be aware that the long-term aim of vaccination is to stop virus mutation. It is not solely for the protection of the individual.
TL
R
If you want to be rid of COVID-19, take the vaccine. Any vaccine.