In Connecticut, almost 50% of the population has received their first dose of the COVID vaccine. Kim Konigsberg, a sophomore at GCDS, is now part of this 50%. On a cloudy day in April, Kim left her home early in the morning and set off to Brunswick School. “I had to come to school late that day, but I was excited to finally be able to get my first dose,” she said in an interview. Her older brother had already received both doses, so she was not nervous when she got there. As she prepared herself for the vaccine, she thought about how amazing it was that she had this chance. “Everyone is so sick of the pandemic, and I’m so happy we are closer to the end,” Kim said. When she arrived back at school, she was bombarded with questions from friends and peers. “Did it hurt? Were you nervous? Do you have any side effects?” everyone asked her. Just happy she got her first dose over with, she answered all of their questions. “It didn’t hurt at all, and in the end I never got any real side effects,” she answered in an interview. Kim had a great experience receiving her first dose of the COVID vaccine, and she is one of many students that have received their vaccinations. 

A fair percentage of GCDS Upper Schools students have already received their first dose or have been fully vaccinated. All of these students have had different reactions and experiences to receiving their COVID vaccines, from booking appointments to side effects. There has been some unease in certain people when it comes to children getting vaccines because less research has been done. “I was kind of nervous to get it, and I wasn’t really sure why,” said Alley Hutchins, another sophomore. The idea of receiving a relatively new vaccine can be nerve wracking, but Alley and many others are glad they got their vaccinations. Others, like Kim, were not nervous at all. Though everyone has been receiving their vaccinations in different places at different times, they can agree that they feel great about having received their vaccinations. 

It’s been a common trend to see side effects in adults who have received their vaccines, but what about children? Though there is not as much data to confirm, the risk of a child/ teenager having serious side effects after getting vaccinated is minimal. Researchers say that clinical trials in children will provide more insight. Of students that have been interviewed, most that have only received their first dose have not experienced any other side effects besides soreness. “My arm was really sore after getting it, but other than that I was totally fine,” said Alley in an interview. A student who has been fully vaccinated however, did experience side effects including achiness. As more students receive their second dose, it’s likely that we will hear more about side effects and how they are affecting students at GCDS and teenagers in general.

Of course, everyone has their own point of view, and opinions about the vaccine are varied. There are plenty of people across the world who are against the COVID vaccine for many different reasons. Some think that there has not been enough testing done, while others are against all vaccinations. As expected, this group of people against the COVID vaccine have very specific thoughts about the vaccination being distributed amongst children. A big part of this group consists of concerned parents who want to keep their children as safe as possible. Many parents feel like they would rather try to control the risks of the virus than the risks of the vaccine. The amount of people that feel this way have been affecting the rollout of COVID vaccines in certain areas of the U.S. A majority of the parents who are saying their children will not be vaccinated are mothers, and this is because mothers in particular face the most pressure to ensure their family’s health and safety. There has been a significant amount of confusion regarding the vaccine, which continues to make the population of anti-vaccine people grow. 

Starting April 1st, everyone aged 16 and older became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. As of now, Pfizer is the only company with the vaccine approved for 16 year olds. After much testing and clinical trials, Pfizer has concluded that the vaccine is completely safe. Since then, there have been plenty of opportunities for people to book an appointment to receive their vaccine at a number of different places. Even high schools are opening up their doors to distribute the COVID vaccine to make it more accessible for teenagers closer to the age of 16. As of now, it is not required anywhere for teenagers to receive their vaccinations, but it is possible that schools may begin to require their students to be vaccinated in the coming year. The Pfizer vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective for those over the age of 16, and the distribution of the vaccine to teenagers has been successful so far. 

On March 31, Pfizer released results from their clinical trials on children ages 12-15, saying the vaccine is safe and effective on younger teenagers. It is still unclear when the FDA will allow children as young as 12 to receive the vaccine, but the hope is that they will be ready sometime during the summer. When younger teenagers start receiving vaccinations, it is also possible that concerned parents will begin to adapt to the idea. Additionally, Pfizer announced that in a Phase 3 trial in children aged 12-15, the COVID vaccine demonstrated 100% efficiency and was well-tolerated. They also noticed strong antibody responses, even exceeding those in people aged 16-25. “I hope that everyone else will be able to get their vaccines soon,” Kim Konigsberg told us. Everyone is longing for some normality, and with the new rollout of vaccinations in younger children, it looks like normality might come soon.

photo credit: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Teenagers-vaccines-California-16-17-Pfizer-16097123.php