The COVID-19 vaccine was released in Dec. and as of today 26.9 percent of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated and this is just the beginning(National Public Radio). People.com states that the FDA approved Pfizer to begin vaccinations for 16 and up on Monday, April 5. Currently, Pfizer is working on getting approval for ages 12-15. According to Yale Medicine the Pfizer vaccine has over 94 percent efficacy rate on preventing COVID-19. That being said, if the majority of the U.S. population received a vaccine could things go back to normal?

By getting vaccinated people not only protect themselves, but also the people around them. The CDC states that after a person is fully vaccinated it becomes more safe to travel, have gatherings, and if exposed to COVID-19 there is no quarantine requirement. Although there are some side effects of the vaccine, they are short term and outweigh the symptoms of COVID-19. Right now half of our student body is eligible for the vaccine and the teachers have already been vaccinated. The Red ‘n’ Green believes that by getting the vaccine our school and community can begin normal activities in the fall. 

Pfizer has completed phase three for age group 12-15, where they tested large numbers of this group to find how well the vaccine works, and found it was 100 percent effective (People). If the majority of the BHS student body can get the vaccine, then maybe in the fall our school can resume dances, large assemblies and normal sporting events. The CDC also states that masks are not needed if everyone in the room has been vaccinated or are unvaccinated but low risk. This means that if everyone can get vaccinated by next fall masks will no longer be required. 

While waiting for the vaccines to be released to younger ages, there are some things that can help make the pandemic bearable. With the temperatures rising The Red ‘n’ Green urges teachers to allow mask breaks. This would include a short two minute break where students could go outside while being six feet apart and remove their masks. Also with the weather warming up, classrooms can get stuffy making it hard to breathe. Even if teachers allow students to go outside with their masks still on, it will be much easier to breathe.

Scientists are still learning how long these vaccinations will last, but in the meantime they are still better than nothing. The world is fighting this pandemic well and if people continue to follow the procedures and get vaccinated maybe life can go back to normal.