There are many reasons why students should get vaccinated. One reason for students to get vaccinated is because they are in close contact with each other, whether it be in the halls, classrooms or at lunch. This close proximity is how the virus spreads. Without being vaccinated, students are vulnerable. If the virus is present, there is a chance that students could contract the virus. Students could be A-symptomatic and spread the virus to other, not yet vaccinated people. With the Delta variant running rampant, it is crucial that students get vaccinated to keep us all safe and healthy. Another reason to get vaccinated is to keep elders and infants healthy because they are the age groups that are most vulnerable. The center for disease control states that the hospitalization rate for elders is fifteen times greater than that of children aged five to seventeen. The death rate however is chilling. Elderly people are 570 times more likely to die due to COVID-19 than the five to seventeen age group. Although students should get vaccinated, it should not be required. Students and their parents’, should decide whether their child should get vaccinated. Their religion or health conditions could impact this decision.
The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. The CDC states that scientists have been working to create vaccines to cure viruses that cause COVID-19 for many years which is one of the reasons why they were developed so quickly. In the United States, all vaccines must pass through three phases of clinical trials to make sure that they will be completely safe and effective for the population. For the COVID-19 vaccine, it completed the trials quickly due to the need for the vaccine. All three phases of the trials were completed and the phases overlapped which also helped get the vaccine out of trials faster. Then, the FDA analyzes the findings from the clinical trials to determine whether the vaccine can be used or not. Three of the COVID-19 vaccines have been granted emergency use authorization which helps get the vaccine out to the people faster. The Pfizer vaccine however has already been completely approved by the FDA for people who are 16 years of age or older.
After interviewing several students, thirty three percent believed that students should not get vaccinated while sixty six percent said that students should get vaccinated. Should students be vaccinated? Yes. It is the way to move toward a better, healthier future.