Editorial: Young people and the vaccine

Every morning when we wake up, we’re reminded that we are still enduring this global pandemic.

Whether you think so or not, everyone’s lives have been impacted by it. Some people have lost loved ones to COVID-19, some have gotten so sick they suffer severe trauma and some haven’t seen their families in over a year. Beyond the physical, businesses have suffered financially, some even closing their doors for the last time. 

But luckily the vaccine has lifted the weight off a lot of shoulders — especially for the young people in our community.

Now that New York State has opened the vaccines to people ages 16 and over, more and more high schoolers and college students are looking to get the jab.

And we think that’s wonderful. They are trusting science and doing so to protect not only themselves, but their elderly or high-risk loved ones. 

We want things to go back to normal for everyone, but the high schoolers specifically.

Remember last year when the Class of 2020 missed out on their final high school sports, senior trips, proms and graduations?

Some of them have even been robbed of the college experience of living in a dorm, taking classes in a lecture hall and meeting new people. 

If we as a whole do not band together to combat this virus, then the classes of 2022, ’23, and ’24 may miss all those key lifetime moments, too.

The Class of 2021 has already lost their junior year — and most likely will not have the same “normal” experiences this spring as the rest of us had.

We know the unknown is terrifying, and people may not agree with getting a vaccine.

But is it worth not getting vaccinated? To constantly live in fear of the virus, or to not trust the medical professionals who saw death every day for more than 365 days?

We don’t think so.

We are grateful and commend these young people for getting their shots. 

The more people who do it, the more we’ll all be able to live as we did before.