Grace Bienstock and Madeleine McKinney ’26
As more and more people get vaccinated, our life starts to get back to normal. Restrictions are lifted and more people get their vaccinations by the day. Vaccine distribution started months ago, available only for the critically ill and elderly. As the months go on, many adults have received their vaccine, and now the Pfizer vaccine is available for children ages 12-15.
On May 10, 2021, the FDA authorized the COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 12-15. Currently, Pfizer is the only vaccine that is authorized for ages 12+. All over the country, children will be vaccinated. Just as the vaccine got approved, mask mandates have been lifted, allowing fully vaccinated people to not wear their masks in most public places. Starting on May 11, thousands of children have already gotten their first dose.
Recently, children have been receiving many vaccines daily. Many parents are signing up their children for vaccines, while other parents are more hesitant. According to the New York Times, 26% of parents in the U.S. were hesitant, had questions or concerns about the vaccine and wanted to wait and see. 30% of parents say that they would get their children vaccinated right away. Lastly, 23% of parents said they wouldn’t get their children vaccinated at all. Despite hesitation from some parents, many parents want their children vaccinated as soon as possible.