With the vaccine here and COVID-19 numbers still climbing, it’s as important as ever to understand what the vaccine does and doesn’t mean. While we’ve been waiting and waiting for this new development, many people don’t truly understand what the arrival of the vaccine represents and how it will help us fight this pandemic.
First, and most importantly, the vaccine does not signal the end of the pandemic. Actually, it communicates the opposite. This pandemic is far from over, and some kids our age are failing to see that. The vaccine doesn’t make you immune, and it definitely doesn’t mean you’ll be completely protected from the virus. While a lot is still unknown about the vaccine, we do know that it reduces the chance of us getting ill, and most importantly it reduces the likelihood that we’ll end up in the hospital. But with that being said, we assume that we are still likely to be carriers, meaning that we can still transmit the virus and infect others. That’s why it’s as important as ever to wear masks and stay safe like we have been doing for so long.
I, just as much as anyone, understand the quarantine exhaustion. Especially with school starting back up, it is even more pressing for us to want to go out and see our friends. But it’s just as important, if not more important, to be as safe as ever. Now isn’t time to let our guards down, particularly when the numbers are as high as they’ve been in the US since the start. Try to remember that the next time you’re asked to go to a party, or go out to the bar. And even beyond that, with the new and more infectious variants now in the US, it’s time to put our masks up, wash our hands, and do our part in helping to combat this virus.