Does “Third Time’s A Charm” Apply to the Covid Vaccines?

   As people flipped their calendars from the year 2020 to 2021, the topic of Covid-19 vaccines took over headlines across the country. Now, with over half of our country’s population fully vaccinated,   we have reached yet another heavy weighted decision to make. Is a booster vaccine necessary? 

   Everything surrounding the unease and fears of this pandemic have been uncertain for the past two years. Should we wear masks? Should we get vaccinated? And now, should we receive a booster vaccine? It’s all so new, yet so menacing, meaning so much more than just a simple yes or no. With this apprehension applying to the current situation, Ms. Janelle Alongi, a Social Studies teacher at Pembroke Pines Charter High School, has multiple points of view, not only as a teacher, but also as someone who has personally received the booster vaccine. Alongi sides with the proof that scientific research has provided us with, stating that “the sooner we can get everyone vaccinated, the less variants we will see of this virus, and the quicker we can get back to some kind of normalcy.”  With her Masters degree in Public Health, she further stresses her point by explaining how the same science used for these vaccines has “been undergoing research studies for 15+ years.”

   With over 1,700 students flooding the PPCHS campus, every safety precaution that can be taken, should be; students who saunter into the courtyard prepared for a strenuous day of hard work should always feel safe at school. Sophomore Kiley Irizarry expresses that she feels “way safer with the vaccine at school.” She confirms that she is supportive of receiving the booster vaccine to feel even more secure in her learning environment. Everyone plays a part in preventing Covid from spreading, but Irizarry doesn’t “blame people for being wary of the vaccine,” supporting the idea that our knowledge only touches the surface of the virus, leaving an abundance of room for doubts, but Ms. Alongi further clarifies that the first thing people should do is follow “the guidance from the CDC,” and that she “absolutely, without a doubt, 100%” feels more protected with her three doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. 

   Although innumerable people are ready to head to the nearest vaccination site to receive their third doses, recommendations from credible health organizations are still wavering. A few weeks ago, the CDC publicized their endorsement for citizens to receive their booster shots. Now, that same guideline has been retracted as research dives deeper, with the FDA claiming that the “observational studies don’t adhere to the same standards as formal clinical trials” (CNBC Health and Science), leaving current evidence to not be completely reliable. Thus, people remain hesitant regarding the idea that everyone should receive the booster, but the sense of urgency proceeds to apply to “anyone who is immunocompromised,” Ms. Alongi proposes, however, that the best thing everyone can do is simply wait for the green light to get the booster shot.

   The manner in which we live our lives should not be controlled by a virus that’s reducing the quality of education, school activities and keeping socializing to the bare minimum. All the events of the pandemic have led up to this pivotal moment where we decide if the Covid-19 booster vaccine is the next step in returning to a quarantine-free, healthy society.