Students and Vaccines: What are Their Thoughts?

New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced that, as of April 6, anyone over 16 in NY State is eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine.

According to the CDC, as of April 29, 55% of adults over 18 have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 34% have received at least one dose. 

     Between April 12 and 16, The Tide conducted a survey of 85 students who are over 16 in order to get their opinions on receiving the vaccine and to compare the findings with the adult population.  

     Within 10 days of eligibility, 27.1% of the 85 students already got at least one dose of the vaccine. 58.8% indicated that they intend on getting the vaccine. 20% don’t intend on getting it, and 21.2% are undecided.

       Many students intend on getting the vaccine and they have different reasons for it. One anonymous student responded to the survey: “I feel like I am privileged with good health, so I think I would be a good person to get the vaccine to not just help me, but people like my grandparents who are still older.” 

Senior Yaquelin Urbano, who also intends on getting it, said, “I  want to be able to go out and not put my family in risk.”

       Students who are against getting the vaccine also have their reasons. Some indicated that they are scared of the long term effects on their body. Some are scared because this is something new, and they never expected that we were going to go through something like this.

      One student who does not plan to be vaccinated said, “I’m personally too scared to see the outcome and how it would react to my body. It’s also a relatively new vaccine. I just don’t fully trust it.”

     Another student said, ”My mom wont let me get it no matter how badly I want it. Consent from adults is stupid.”

     Another common reason for not wanting to get the vaccine, as indicated by the survey responses, is that the students are scared of needles. 

       Those who already got the vaccine, 27% of those surveyed,  shared their experience. None of the respondents who have gotten the shot indicated any serious side effects. 

      Juan Zuluaga Reyes, a senior, said he had a “sore arm for a day” and that “working out helped deal with pain.”

     Junior Loomis Hall said, “This really isn’t a vaccine to worry about. The vaccination centers are efficient and helpful, and the vaccine itself is pretty painless.”