Vaccination season in full swing
By Riya Khatod, Copy Editor
With over 28 million COVID-19 vaccinations administered and the lowest infection rate in the country, California is beginning the steady transition back to normal life. As of May 10, Samo students ages 12 years old and above can receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine just in time for in-person school reopening.
Students ages 12 to17 have the opportunity to receive the Pfizer vaccine, and those 18 or older have the option of receiving Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson and Johnson (J&J).
Vaccines are being distributed state-wide, and the CDC has resources on their website that help everyone to find their nearest vaccination clinic or pharmacy. Visit this website: https://vaccinefinder.org/search/ that searches for the nearest vaccination site by zip code. If appointments are unavailable, one can sign up to be notified when they reopen. Furthermore, the Venice Family Clinic has a supply of Pfizer vaccines, and is holding a special vaccine clinic for 16 and 17 year olds on Sat. May 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.. Call (310) 664-7894 in order to schedule an appointment.
The Pfizer vaccine, which can be received by all Samo students ages 16 and over, was found to be 95 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 at least seven days after the second dose. Similarly, the Moderna vaccine has been proven to be 94.1 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 at least 14 days after the second shot. The J&J vaccine only has one dose, and is 66.3 percent effective after 14 days.
On April 13, the J&J vaccine’s rollout was halted after 7 million doses had been administered because it may have caused six women to form blood clots. However, LA County began resuming circulation of the vaccine after federal health agencies officially lifted the pause on Saturday, April 24.
Samo students, such as Lily Collias (’23), are ecstatic as they begin to receive their vaccinations because they are able to visit friends and family safely for the first time in over a year.
“Right now I’m relieved that I don’t have to panic every time I’m in public and I’m very happy that I can safely see my friends that I’m not in a quarantine bubble with,” Collias said
Others, such as Kylie Riggs (’23), are excited about the future opportunities the vaccination provides.
“I’m honestly most excited to be able to travel again. It was a huge part of my life growing up and I’m super excited to be able to have the privilege to have more family experiences again,” Riggs said.
According to Our World in Data, as of May 9, 34.8 percent of the US and 35.5 percent of California are fully vaccinated. The rate of second doses administered per day has begun to decrease, but is still about 1 million doses per day.
