From a teen's perspective: COVID-19 Vaccinations
*The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author. They don’t purport to reflect the opinions or views of Davidson Local or its staff.*
March 11, 2020, was the last time I went to school and saw my classmates’ and teachers’ faces when I walked into the classroom. March 11, 2020 was the last time I sat at a lunch table with nine people. March 11, 2020 was the last time I hugged my friends as we passed each other between classes. March 11, 2020 was the last time I used a locker. March 11, 2020 was the last day I was a sophomore “at school.”
It’s been a long journey. In Davidson County, students haven’t had a normal school schedule since March 2020, and even then we didn’t go back to school for a few months. This took a mental toll on students and lowered motivation and interest in school. Mental health issues have been increasing, especially in students who sit on Zoom all day. Many students had flexible deadlines for work which made accountability difficult. Sitting on Zoom all day takes a toll on students' minds. Additionally, students who rely on school for at least one meal a day faced even more obstacles. Without food and in some cases access to the internet, the past year and a half has been a mentally draining and tiring experience for students, but now Davidson County has a chance to work back to a more normal space.
According to the New York Times’s Covid-19 database, Davidson County’s cases are high and on the rise, while our vaccination rate is low. Here is a comparison of Davidson County vaccination rate versus the US vaccination rate (note: there are four percent of vaccinations in NC not reporting which county they are from)
All ages: Davidson County-33%, US- 48%
18 years and up: Davidson County-41%, US-59%
65 years and up: Davidson County-66%, US-79%
The risk level in Davidson County of contracting COVID, if unvaccinated, is labeled moderate, which is better than most parts of NC. We are making progress, however that could change. In the US, the case rate is increasing by 109 percent, which could be an effect of the COVID-19 Delta variant.. According to the World Health Organization, people who are fully vaccinated should still wear masks in public areas because of this Delta variant, but the Center For Disease Control states that people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks in public. Either way, our county is still behind on vaccinations and protection from COVID-19.
But this isn’t only about personal protection from the virus. It's about getting back to “normal” or whatever that means. Teens want to be able to hang out again. They want to go to school consistently. In order for youths’ mental health to be better and to give the students a full school year, please get vaccinated.
