It’s finally here. The answer to our problem, the world’s problem, is here. The COVID-19 vaccine is now available to all men and women alike, to become immune against the harmful virus that took a lot of lives this past year. At first, it was administered to those with underlining health conditions, but now there has been many occasions where there has been a surplus of “left-over” vaccines, which has persuaded the state to allow willing citizens the opportunity to become free from fear and enjoy the normalcy we all are used to. But how will students and schools react to it? Will they make encourage students to get vaccinated, will after-school activities be vaccinated-only, what safety precautions will they take the upcoming schoolyear, or do they even support getting vaccinated. If Whatever the case, the responsibility will fall to the students. 

This year, many sports and active school groups have canceled or adjusted how they normally operate to fit the health regulations. But what happens if the regulations just so happen to involve getting vaccinated, what could happen then? Would they encourage the players to do it or mandate it? For example, football been postponed so many times and modified by the health guidelines that there were more days just standing six feet apart, with masks on, then going full gear weeks before the first game. I couldn’t even tell you

what I think, so I asked fellow football member, Jackson Grant, on his stance on the matter and, Jackson believes, “Vaccines should become mandated and be promoted and encouraged by staff and fellow vaccinated students, such as myself, to allow people a healthy conscious so that they could get it. But, even with the vaccine, the safety protocols will only be slightly reduced, the other half of the responsibility will be making sure the student body make healthy decisions as a collective and not just as an individual, regardless of what our beliefs align with.”  

Another issue, which is one of the main ones, is personal school attendance. Many students have decided to attend school in person and interact with friends. Could the thought of only vaccinated students allowed to attend school in-person, be made a rule? It would be more safe than un-vaccinated students, but what about the kids who are struggling with their schoolwork and need to attend physically? Should they be rejected because they’re at more of a risk than other students? I was lost, so I asked senior student, Jake Brown on his perspective on the idea and what he thinks could be effective.

Jake says, “The chances of that happening are pretty slim, although pretty logical, it could cause parents to argue that their kid isn’t getting equal educational services and can start another problem. For now, the best solution is to still enforce masks protocols and six feet socializing, but activities in where you won’t have any other choice but to interact at close range or even touch, would have to enforce getting vaccinated.” He gave a well thought out answer, but at the end of the day, if the vaccine comes to CCHS, it will fall on the student body to decide such outcome.