While COVID-19 continues to affect all aspects of our lives, especially students attending school, new scientific discoveries and innovations give hope for effective vaccines. It has been over a year since the first confirmed case arrived in America, but normality feels far away. Thankfully, the rise of the COVID-19 vaccine brings the possibility of this.
The news seems to be dominated by politics and COVID-19. With that being said, partisan politics consistently cloud the message of non-partisan information, like the vaccine. People have the right to question the true nature of the vaccines and their effectiveness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends two vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. These vaccines are being rolled out from state to state, but there are some specific qualifications. To qualify to receive the vaccine in stage 1A, one must be “65 and older and to adults of any age with medical conditions that put them at high risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from COVID-19” (New York Times).
People show apprehension when it comes to taking the vaccine because of the side-effects. The CDC alerts people of the potential side-effects of taking the vaccine. The side-effects vary from person to person. According to the CDC’s research, they have noticed that on the arm where one receives the shot, there may be potential pain and swelling. Throughout the rest of the body, a fever, chills, tiredness, and a headache are not uncommon after injection. This is a time when American individualism is valuable in this culture. People, while being aware of the potential risks, can choose whether or not to take the vaccine.
Maybe… just maybe… the vaccine will prove effective and we will be able to adjust back to a new to a somewhat normal society again. Nonetheless, it is important to stay healthy, wear your mask, and remain educated on what is happening in our country and our world.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/world/covid-vaccine-eligibility.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines.html
