When the pandemic started, we were all waiting for the day it would end. But weeks turned into months, and months turned into years, and COVID-19 was just progressing. Then a vaccine was made to help people against COVID and stop the COVID from progressing any further. While some people disagree with the vaccine, I believe everyone should get vaccinated to lower the COVID cases in NY, be more protected against COVID, and be able to enjoy public places that require vaccination proof.

School Is Starting Back Up

Many students have had trouble with online school because they are more hands-on learners, and they need the school environment to stay focused and succeed in school. So a lot of parents are going to be sending their kids to school in person. These kids will be near each other and when excited, they don’t think too much about social distancing. Even though mayor Bill De Blasio announced that “New York City teachers will be required to be vaccinated by the time school reopens in September, or be tested weekly,” it doesn’t stop COVID from potentially spreading throughout the children. They are prone to catching COVID and if vaccinated, the effects of COVID won’t be as detrimental to them. But there are no vaccines “available yet for children under age 12.” So in schools that contain children under 12, they should keep up with the social distancing and make sure they sanitize every surface before the children touch it. Children 12 and older should take the vaccine to protect them from the effects of COVID. No, the vaccination doesn’t make you immune to catching COVID, but it does “teach your body’s immune system how to fight the virus, so it knows how to do so if you are exposed to COVID-19.” So if your children are 12 and up, you should make sure they get vaccinated so they are protected “from severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization and death.”

With Vaccines, Spread Of Variant Will Decrease 

When you’re not vaccinated and you catch COVID, your body will make different versions of the COVID in your body and those variants could be worse than the previous. If vaccinated, your body will fight off the COVID and those variants won’t be produced, which means no more rapid increases in new COVID variant cases. The people resisting getting the vaccine make up most of the new COVID cases. If those people keep resisting vaccination then it will lead to “more Covid-19 outbreaks and, worse, the rise of a variant that can overcome existing vaccines.” The rise of a variant that can overcome vaccines will force us to stay home and have another international lockdown. Personally, I’m tired of having to stay locked inside my house and I know others are too. We just want things to go back to normal and the quickest way to do that is to get the vaccine and stop the possibility of any variants being produced. 

Vaccines Will Be Required

Ever since indoor dining, gyms, and other public places started opening up, everybody has been outside in large crowds. This increased the number of COVID cases so public places made sure every one of their customers practiced social distancing and didn’t enter any establishment without a mask. But starting in September, public places are going to start requiring “people to prove they’ve received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to eat indoors, visit gyms, and go to theaters.” So if you’re planning to go out to eat, or continue going to the gym, or go out with some friends or family, I think you should get vaccinated so you could enjoy those public places. Colleges are also requiring students to be vaccinated to join their on-campus classes. If they get vaccinated, they won’t miss out on important classes and they get to enjoy the full college experience without having to worry about COVID hospitalizing them.

Opposing Side

People refused to get vaccinated because they thought that the vaccine contained a microchip in it that would be used to track them. People even tried to further this conspiracy by attaching magnets onto their arm where they got vaccinated to show there were metals in the vaccine. But that conspiracy was debunked because “these people were caught licking the magnet or adding some adhesive.” So no, the government isn’t trying to track people through these vaccines. People also believed the COVID vaccine was going to give them COVID and kill them off because the government wanted to solve overpopulation this way. However, the vaccines “do not contain the virus that causes COVID-19” so they are not being used to kill people off for overpopulation either. These are simply just rumors and conspiracies used to “frighten the masses.” 

Potential Solutions

More places could require vaccination proof so more people could get vaccinated and the spread of COVID variants could decrease. There should be advertisements of the cons of not getting the vaccines instead of the pros of getting the vaccine because some people clearly don’t care about the pros. More schools should require vaccines for kids 12 and up. Schools with children under 12 should make sure any surfaces that would be touched by the students are sanitized. They should also make sure social distancing is being practiced and all the students have on a mask at all times. Apps should also make sure that misinformation isn’t being spread to the masses.

Conclusion

In conclusion, everyone should strive to get the vaccine. Not only to keep yourself safe but to keep others around you safe. You should also make sure to do your research about the vaccine instead of automatically believing rumors. The vaccine will stop the spread of any variants of COVID and this pandemic will hopefully soon be over.