As the pandemic continues, research and development of a COVID vaccine have been advancing quickly.
With that being said, there are many different opinions on the vaccine from doctors, adults, and elders, but I have decided to shift my focus onto the opinions of young students.
First of all, I think it’s important to inform those that are not yet fully educated about the COVID vaccine.
There are two vaccines available right now. developed and produced by Moderna and Pfizer. Both require two shots: a priming dose with a booster shot afterwards.
The Moderna shots are 28 days apart, and Pfizer has a shorter break in between of 21 days.
So far, the two immunizations have shown similar side effects which include pain where the shot was taken, headaches, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue.
Doctors have noted that these are symptoms similar to other vaccines, such as the seasonal flu shot, and they are merely signs that the immune system is activated and working.
Some allergic reactions have been reported, but statistically, it seems to be a rare occasion.
Now that you´re all educated and up to date on the COVID vaccine, it’s time to hear what several of the Fairhaven High School students think about it, despite being some of the last ones to have it available to them.
Freshman Christina Pimental shared her thoughts saying, “I think this vaccine may be a start to ease up COVID and eventually go away,” which I think is what students are looking forward to most: going back to some sort of ´normal.´
Sadie Hubert, a junior at FHS who says she has gotten the virus before thinks “that it’s amazing that scientists were able to come up with a vaccine in the amount of time they did, [and] more people should look into getting the vaccine… to help protect themselves and the spread of the disease.”
She also said: “I personally would be willing to get the vaccine, but after some more research and results come out.”
Others like Olivia Turgeon, believe it was “way too rushed to be perfect, and could probably use a bit more research and time to make sure everything is working the way it should. But once there is more evidence to back up the vaccine, I will definitely be willing to get it.¨
Gretchen Kohler, a full remote student at FHS, also shared her opinion on the vaccine saying, “If you are a doctor or nurse, or work anywhere where there is a high risk of COVID, then I think you should get the vaccine.”
It is important to know that no one really knows how well these vaccines are going to work and how much of a benefit they will be, but Hugo Surprenant justifies this perfectly by saying that, “It doesn’t really seem like COVID is going anywhere, which means we need to find a solution. If that solution is a vaccine, I’m all for it, even if all of the effects of the vaccine have not yet been fully explored.”
On the contrary, Eric Zhao felt, “That we should still wait and be careful… because being cautious is best and there should be a 100% success rate before we actually use it.”
Thinking about the safety of his loved ones and those that surround him, freshman Barrett Becotte stated: “I think that the vaccine will be a very big help to the community as a whole, and I would consider getting it sometime in the future.”
Overall, it seems that most high-schoolers I spoke with would want to get the COVID vaccine, especially if it means going back to how things used to be before the pandemic. But, they would definitely feel more comfortable with more research and evidence of success behind the vaccines before making that decision.
What are your thoughts on the COVID vaccine?
Well, hopefully this article provided you with the insight you were looking for, as well as helped educate you on the topic.
Remember to stay happy, healthy, and safe!
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