To be or not to be... Vaccinated.

Scientists have been working tirelessly over the past year to provide a COVID-19 vaccine for the public. Finally, they have been successful in doing so. This has been a shock to many, as usually vaccines take many years to be created. The flu vaccine, for example, took over ten years to create. With this, however, comes people’s decisions on whether or not they will get the vaccine as soon as it’s available.

It was made so quickly due to the fact that it was made using mRNA technology. This is a type of vaccine that will deliver the coronavirus S protein’s genetic material to the recipient’s cells. The cells then prepare for a future coronavirus attack.

Some people are very supportive of the vaccine, and are ready to get it as soon as possible. One such person is Samuel Rancourt, a senior at Greenfield High School, who said “I’m excited that it exists. A world where we don’t need to worry about Corona is one I want to go back to”. Rancourt is not the only one who is excited about the vaccine. Many people will take any opportunity to return to some form of normalcy.

Other people are not as supportive of the vaccine. Aengus Maloney, a Greenfield resident, had this to say: “I am very pro vaccination, but the fact that you have to sign a sterility waiver makes me uncomfortable.” There have been rumors spreading for the past couple of months that the vaccine could cause infertility. But there are just that, rumors.

This is enough proof for some. Maloney is among many who have concerns about the vaccine, as it turns out many are apprehensive and are not sure if they will get the vaccine.

This can be seen in data taken from the World Health Organization. In April of 2020, 74.1% of U.S adults said they were likely to take the vaccine once it was available. In a survey conducted in late November of 2020, that number dropped way down to 56.2%, showing a clear drop in national enthusiasm for taking the vaccine immediately.

Overall, it’s clear to see that there is a bit of a divide being caused by the vaccine. However, one can have hope in the fact that a vaccine exists at all. The speed at which it was created is truly impressive, and shows how far science has progressed.