March 12th. Though few remember the date, everyone knows the change that day brought: it was the day schools were announced to close. That’s when we knew things were becoming serious. I remember it was a Thursday, and I had just come out of school from archery club. I got in the car with my friend and checked my emails. There, they had announced that schools would be closed for two weeks due to the rising pandemic. Now, at the time, I was happy about the break. I remember smiling at the thought of staying at home and not having to bother about getting out of bed early or having a tight schedule. That was, of course, until I found out schools would be staying closed for much longer.
But, well, I digress. COVID-19 has been taking over our lives for over a year, with, honestly, little hope of it getting better anytime soon. That was, at least, until the vaccines came out. Launched last summer, the vaccines were light in a sea of darkness, guiding us into normality. Quickly spreading all across the country--and the world--now over 50% of the United States’ population has gotten at least one dose, with a little over 40% being fully vaccinated. The only drawback was that the vaccines were only for people that were 16 years old or older. Well, not anymore. On May 10th, COVID-19 vaccines were approved for 12-year-old kids and older. So, yes, that does include a lot of us. With the recent announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that stated, “Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing,” it feels like a whole new world is opening up again. Or, at least, our old world is coming back to normality.
So, what should you expect from this vaccine? Will there be side effects? Will there be multiple doses? How long do you have to wait? Here’s what you should know.
First of all, these vaccines are safe and effective. Although you will get some side effects, this is a huge contribution to finally stopping this pandemic. And, really, who doesn’t want this to end?
Furthermore, the only available vaccine for our age group right now is the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. You will need to get a second dose three weeks after your first shot.
Additionally, you might have quite a few side effects, including: muscle pain, redness, and swelling of the arm where you got the shot, and tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea. However, don’t let this scare you--it’s perfectly normal! These side effects should go away in a few days.
To get a COVID-19 vaccine, simply visit your local pharmacy’s website or contact your healthcare provider.
If you have any more questions, or want to learn more, visit the official CDC article about vaccines for kids.
Hopefully, this article was of some help and it convinced you to get your COVID-19 vaccine. Good luck and stay safe!
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