By Olivia Cushman
With the unprecedented and extremely taxing COVID-19 Pandemic affecting the entire globe, scientists have been urgently and frantically working to create a safe and effective vaccine. As of right now, there are two vaccines that are being given to the general public: an mRNA vaccine produced by the companies Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech. With the FDA’s emergency approval of both vaccines, some wonder if it’s safe for minors to be vaccinated.
Vaccination (n.) is the act of introducing the immune system, usually through injection, to a disease, immunizing the patient from said disease. In the case of COVID-19 vaccines, they’re given in two identical doses, 21 days apart. It’s injected into the muscle of your upper arm, and the vaccine usually contains weakened, lab-grown coronavirus disease, in order to make it safe for injection and not cause serious illness. Side effects of these two vaccines are minimal; they usually include mild chills, headache, and fatigue.
Getting a full-blown case of COVID-19 from another person is way worse for most people then getting introduced to the virus via immunization. Many people realize how seriously ill people who were seemingly healthy before the pandemic are getting as a result of pure and gross negligence. That’s part of the reason why WNE takes partying on or off campus as well as mask-wearing and social distancing precautions very seriously. As we rapidly approach half a million deaths in the US, people still continue to gather in large groups and spread the virus.
This is why it’s so important that everyone gets vaccinated, little by little, putting priority first. There are only a limited number of vaccines that are ready for use, and until there are enough for everybody, we have to start vaccinating the elderly and first responders first because they are the most at risk of contracting the disease. At this point you may be asking, “When can I be vaccinated?”
Legislators in most states have implemented priority laws that allow citizens to be vaccinated in stages. Wherever you live, you should check the laws in your state and see when you can get vaccinated by visiting the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website on their recommendations to legislators about vaccine rollout. If you’re really amped up to get the vaccine as soon as possible (which you should be), you can just do some internet research; you can easily know when you’re eligible in your state for vaccination. In this article, I will cover Massachusetts residents only.
We are currently in Phase 1 of vaccine eligibility, and there are three phases total. In order of priority, the following groups of people can get vaccinated right now: clinical and non clinical healthcare workers doing direct COVID-facing care, long term care facilities or assisted living facilities, first responders, congregate care settings, home based healthcare workers, and healthcare workers doing non COVID-facing care.
As of February 2021, we are beginning to see the start of Phase 2, which includes four subgroups. Listed in priority, the groups are individuals ages 75+ in age; individuals 65+ and individuals with certain medical conditions; residents and staff of low income or senior housing; and other workers. The third and final phase of vaccination includes everyone else, if your group wasn’t already listed, the general public. Starting in April of 2021, this is when most people can expect to be eligible to be vaccinated.
College students and staff at WNE, for the most part, have already been vaccinated or can expect to be eligible to be vaccinated in April of 2021. This means good news; I and many more hope for a COVID-free summer of 2021.
