I know you’re probably tired of seeing headlines about COVID-19. The good news is that we’re approaching the beginning of the end. It’s an exciting thought that we might be able to do fun things with our friends and family again. Starting last Thursday, April 13, all Pennsylvanians age 16 and older were eligible to receive the vaccine. While there is some hesitation to get vaccinated, your best bet is to schedule an appointment and get it! I got the Moderna vaccine in March, and it was truly a liberating moment. This vaccine is a symbol of freedom, or at least better days ahead.
America approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the Moderna vaccine, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The only vaccine approved for people under the age of 18 is the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved in many countries, but not here. Researchers wanted to further investigate if it was causing blood clots. The use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was put on hold on Wednesday for a similar reason. Six women experienced blood clots after getting the vaccine, one of which was fatal.
Getting the vaccine might be your golden ticket. Right now in Pennsylvania, there is talk of vaccine passports. While some states like Texas and Florida have banned the use of vaccine passports, others see it as the safest transition to normal life. A vaccine passport would be used to travel and grant entrance into certain places.
The governors of Texas and Florida have argued that requesting certain information would intrude on an individual’s privacy. The governors who disagree with vaccine passports say that medical information shouldn’t have to be disclosed to gain entry to another state or country.
According to the New York Times, Florida currently ranks as the 34th state in total vaccines distribution, whereas Texas is 39th. In both Texas and Florida, masks are not required to be worn by state mandates. Texas has also announced that the baseball team, Texas Rangers, will reach full capacity at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. The maximum capacity of Globe Life Park is 49,115 people.
Events with large crowds have been canceled or rescheduled since the start of the pandemic. While it may be exciting for Texans to return to normal, many experts say it’s a bad idea to allow maximum capacity in establishments. Why would one of the slowest states to roll out the vaccine suddenly open against the advice of professionals? Politics.
Every aspect of this pandemic is related to politics. The pandemic is making our nation more polarized than ever. Like the “High School Musical” cast says, “We’re all in this together.” So why is COVID-19 tearing us apart? If we all work together to achieve a common goal, everything would be much easier. In the past, government officials have observed professional recommendations. Science is something you can’t deny. Now, educated government officials are going directly against scientific guidelines because of politics. We must work together if we want things to return to normal.