Wellbeing and Vaccines in California - Resources and updates 2021
By Aadi Sudan and Hardik Maheshwari
Vaccination is one of the major steps for the United States to return to normal. Finally, a little over a year later, several working vaccines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have arrived. The 3 major vaccine providers are Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson. All these vaccines are safe to use and are approved by the FDA and the CDC. If one has experienced any allergies and other reactions to vaccines, it is best to consult a doctor.
Currently, people from age 16–17 are only allowed to take the Pfizer vaccine. For people below the age of 16, the vaccine development and trial process are ongoing. All vaccines are provided free of cost from the government. The government makes it very easy to get the vaccine and encourages one to get it. The government will provide transportation if you are unable to drive to a vaccination center. When it comes to choosing which vaccine, medical experts have no preference. It is best to get the vaccine as soon as possible instead of worrying about which one to get. The vaccination process was first only open to healthcare workers and government workers like teachers, but now it has expanded to the general public and anyone can get vaccinated right now. The vaccines are all effective, but there are a few differences. Moderna and Pfizer require two doses to consider an individual to be fully vaccinated. Johnson Johnson requires only one dose. One dose makes it easy for people in rural areas to get fully vaccinated without the extra hassle. All vaccines pose no risk because they do not work by injecting a live virus, but rather they are mRNA vaccines. After much research and testing, it has been confirmed that you cannot get COVID-19 by taking the vaccine. California residents can get vaccinated by filling out this quick form https://myturn.ca.gov/.
In California, over 31 million doses have been given and 12.3 million people (31.1%) have been fully vaccinated as of May 2nd, 2021 thanks to the mass vaccination sites that are being opened everywhere. Vaccination centers are popping up in drive-thrus, Levis Stadium, and even local grocery stores. The government is making every effort to get people fully vaccinated. Most of the vaccines were administered after April 15 so it is an incredible milestone. The moment you are fully vaccinated does not mean you are free to roam around and be close to strangers, however, it only becomes effective a few weeks after one is fully vaccinated. It is still important to wear a mask and maintain distance from total strangers until the CDC has clearly mentioned not to. One unfortunate side effect of the vaccine that has been reported by many who have already taken it is that your vaccinated arm could grow quite sore and tender for a short period of time. However, apart from that, there are no lasting discomforts.
In a speech Joe Biden made last Tuesday, he said that if one is fully vaccinated they can roam around freely in public without a mask if it’s an open space and not a lot of people. This means one can go to the park or a picnic without a mask since it’s outdoors and you will be socially distant. You will still have to wear a mask if you are going to a place that is crowded and/or indoors. So wearing a mask is mandatory when you go to a sporting event or a concert. President Biden has received criticism for this decision by several experts because it encourages people that a mask is no longer needed. The truth is until everyone isn’t fully vaccinated there is always a risk of contracting COVID-19. The CDC still recommends wearing a mask and socially distancing yourself from others, but life is much closer to returning to normal due to mass vaccinations and a series of strict lockdowns.
The long-term goals of the vaccine are to, obviously, slow down and eventually completely eliminate the threat of the coronavirus that has plagued the world for over a year at this point. With the virus gone, the world would seemingly return to a state of normalcy, seeing the end of the year-long pandemic and finally permitting people to leave their homes and go outside to interact with others once more. This would have obvious benefits for many small-time businesses such as restaurants, bars, or theme parks because people would be able to visit them more often, providing them with a more solid and consistent level of income and revitalizing businesses that may have been on the verge of bankruptcy due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, certain businesses have already gone under, and a quick google search would reveal dozens of local restaurants or bars that simply could not survive the quarantine due to a lack of consistent income needed to keep doors open. However, the ending of the quarantine would revitalize and possibly save many other companies from suffering a similar fate, which has obvious benefits for the community as a whole, since the more options for dining there are the better.
Additionally, the ending of the pandemic would have a big impact on students and younger audiences. If the quarantine is lifted, schools would once again require students to attend in-person, which would obviously be a big change to those who have not visited their school for a year now. This drastic shift in the norm would take quite a bit of getting used to, with students needing to possibly rearrange their morning schedule to make time for walking or biking to their school, not to mention the fact that they may have to reschedule certain extracurriculars due to an influx of additional homework or responsibilities inside of school. However, this could also provide certain benefits for students, since they would be able to better interact with teachers or friends in person. High-school seniors in particular would benefit from going back to in-person school since this would mean that they would get a proper graduation. Graduations for 2021 students were held online due to the lockdown, and while they managed to accomplish their desired goal and sent off seniors to colleges, they likely did not have the same impact or spirit as a traditional, in-person graduating ceremony. This was unfortunate for the graduating class of 2021, but the ending of the pandemic would mean that future classes wouldn’t be robbed of a proper graduation.
