The talk of the nation right now is Covid vaccines, whether to vax or not to vax. Vaccines are also being talked about towards whether colleges, businesses and the military will make it mandatory to be vaccinated. Since vaccines have been opened up to 16 year olds and older,  Greater Latrobe High School teenagers have chosen to get vaccinated. Grace Blycheck and Alexis Coletti jumped at the opportunity to get vaccinated.

When the pandemic became worldwide many people didn’t think  that vaccines would be talked about over a year later. Pfizer and Moderna were the first companies to release their vaccines and are more trusted than Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.

“I got the Pfizer vaccine because at the time of my dose, I was 17. It is the only vaccine approved for people under the age of 18,” said Alexis.

“I got the Moderna because it was the only available vaccine where I went,” said Grace.

Choosing to get vaccinated is a big decision. Some people are wary when it comes to new vaccines, while others are more ready to be done with the pandemic. 

“I wanted to get vaccinated because the pandemic won’t end itself! We need anyone who is able to get the vaccine if we ever want to get back to normal. I took that step as soon as I was able,” said Alexis.

“I decided to get vaccinated because I will be traveling a lot this summer and I believe it would be best for me, and everyone else I am planning to travel with,” said Grace.

Covid elicited many fears for others-whether it was being afraid of being near strangers or being afraid to go shopping in a crowded public place. 

“I did not have any fears! The vaccine is FDA approved for emergency use and pharmacies have been making vaccines since before I was born. I am confident that it is safe,” said Alexis.

“I was scared of getting the vaccine due to the fact I don’t have the strongest immune system, but everything went well!” Grace stated.

When vaccines became available to people 16 years and older, teens got excited and started scheduling their vaccines. The demand for vaccines for younger people grew to 84% because many of them want to get back to life before the pandemic.

 “I got my first vaccine April 8, 2021. This is before it opened up to all Americans 16 and older. I am immunocompromised and a frontline worker, making me eligible for Group 1A,” said Alexis. 

“It did take me some time to get the vaccine, my parents did not want me to get it but I got it anyway,” said Grace.

Vaccination clinics are starting to pop up at school districts like Hempfield and Norwin, but when the vaccine first became available the places giving out the vaccine were limited. Other local places frequented were Saint Vincent College, The Medicine Shoppe, and CVS in Latrobe. 

“I got vaccinated at Saint Vincent’s Fred Rogers Center through Mainline Pharmacy,” said Alexis.

“I went to Saint Vincent to get vaccinated,” said Grace.

Spending the past year and two months in a pandemic, hearing about vaccines and the amount of people being vaccinated brings hope that this pandemic will soon be over. Alexis and Grace have hope for the future because of the vaccinations. 

“I’m feeling great! It’s a really empowering feeling to be a part of something bigger than me and to be safe from such a devastating disease. I’m really impressed with the scientists and medical professionals behind the vaccine and I am excited to see what kind of developments they make next,” said Alexis.

“Getting vaccinated makes me feel safer when traveling and just doing daily errands, and I hope that everyone will get vaccinated so everything can go back to normal or as normal as possible. I believe that will be necessary to get the vaccine in the future for schools. You may not be able to control every situation and its outcome, but you can control your attitude and how you deal with it,” said Grace.