The Student Newspaper of Suncoast High School

Covid-19 Vaccine

The Covid-19 vaccine is now being sent to all the states and is ready for use.

February 26, 2021

The Covid-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer are now available in the United States. It was approved under the use of an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the New York Times, the vaccine was first tested in Mar. 2020 and has been found to be safe, but it is still yet to be tested through the whole process of the FDA licensure. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccine right now has been tested to be 95 percent effective and is still being improved. It is not required to take the vaccine but recommended by experts. Taking the shot will boost the chances of not catching the coronavirus.

“Getting COVID-19 may offer some natural protection, known as immunity. Current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection. However, experts don’t know for sure how long this protection lasts, and the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity,” said The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

“It’s great but we don’t know the long-term side effects. They could have positive or negative effects,” said sophomore Ryan Ullah.

According to the New York Times, due to a limitation on the number of vaccines each state will receive, those receiving the vaccine must meet certain qualifications. They also stated that each state has made the vaccine available for citizens 65 years of age or older, adults of any age with medical conditions that put them at high risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from Covid-19, health care workers, police officers, teachers and public transit employees. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions, there are two required dosages that must be taken for the vaccine to work. For the Pfizer vaccine, individuals must wait 21 days after taking their first shot, and 28 days after taking the first shot for the Moderna vaccine. Additionally to having guidelines for who can receive the vaccine, the two companies have made guidelines for those not eligible to receive the vaccine. Children younger than the age of 16 are not yet eligible for Pfizer’s vaccine, and those who are younger than the age of 18, cannot yet take Moderna’s vaccine.

“It is great that we finally have some type of vaccine that will help us fight the virus. It’s good that they are able to release the vaccine for our medical workers who need it since they are putting their lives at risk by taking care of Covid-19 patients. It will help our country recover quicker,” sophomore Abhik Saha said.

 Many people who have gotten the vaccine have reported having temporary side effects. These include fatigue, headaches, chills, fever, injection site pain, muscle and joint pain. According to the CDC, the reason why these side effects occur is due to the body starting to build immunity against the virus, which is a normal sign. Some ways to reduce these discomforts are to apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the pain/shot area, drink plenty of fluids, and dress lightly. These side effects of the vaccine came as a surprise to people as they were not anticipating these symptoms.

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