The importance for the vaccine is that it reduces (not eliminates) transmission and significantly reduces serious complications. The more person to person transmission, the more opportunity to mutant variants. This is why it is also important for those at low risk to also get vaccinated - bc transmission among them increases the risk for new variants that threaten the efficacy of the vaccine.
Govts have fucked up by loosening restrictions too early or not implementing them early enough, providing an environment for variants to emerge, thus negating the incredible efficacy of the vaccines against v1.0 COVID.
There are nearly zero significant risks with these vaccines with the exception of VITT in AstraZeneca (still exceedingly rare). In the case of younger ppl less at risk of developing COVID symptoms or hospitalization they should receive an mRNA vaccine preferentially. In Canada we've moved away from AZ in most of the country.
While many ppl get COVID without symptoms, the number of people who have died and who have ongoing debilitating symptoms is quite significant. And this is with all the measures that were taken. Imagine if we just ho-hummed it the way we do with flu each year.
The notion that we have to "live with COVID" like we do with cold and flu is defeatist. If we'd had vaccines when these emerged and took strong public health measures, we might not have to deal with them annually. The work done to prevent cases is with the intention of preventing this annual cycle. Might be too late now, hard to say, but I'm not ready to give up.
People have the choice not to get one but can't pretend there aren't consequences to that, including possibly not being able to return to all normal privileges of social life.
Virtually everyone should receive a vaccine. Medical contraindications are exceedingly rare.