As Covid cases in Arizona trend downward, vaccination numbers are about to have a huge spike.

On March 22 Gov. Doug Ducey announced that vaccines will be available to everyone 16 and up. This of course means that more people will receive the vaccine on top of the 1.1 million who have already been fully vaccinated. 

Someone who has first-hand experience with getting vaccinated is Elijah Carson, the OwlFeed News Section Editor. They think that everyone should try to get the vaccine for their safety, stating, “Definitely, if people want any chance to live in a world similar to the world pre-pandemic, then your best bet is getting the vaccine… Just try and get something to protect yourself.”

I completely agree with what they have to say. It is better to be protected somewhat than to not be. These vaccines are made to keep you safe and to aid your body in case you do get Covid it provides you with a chance to get over it faster.  

For some people they have had bad experiences for a few days after getting the vaccine; for others, nothing happens, however, it can be worse for other individuals. 

Elijah wasn’t massively affected by their vaccination, although others in their lives were affected. “My grandmothers have gotten the vaccine days before me, and they were MASSIVELY sick afterwards, so I expected the worst,” Elijah said. “However, nothing was wrong with me besides the obvious sore arm.”

Arizona expanding its vaccination is great and beneficial for everyone. It provides a lot more people with protection and helps the overall count of people vaccinated in the country rise. Biden set out a goal of 100 million vaccinations, which has been passed by a great amount, as of the writing of this the count is at 167 million doses given. 

Previously, there were all sorts of requirements people had to meet to be vaccinated, including being over a certain age, working a certain job or career, or simply having an underlying health condition that may be impacted by Covid. Elijah stated that they were eligible for a vaccine before eligibility opened up. These qualifications that Elijah stated were, “I am over 16 years old, I have medical conditions, and I’m an American citizen.”

To briefly summarize what was stated above, everyone should try and get vaccinated. It benefits everyone and helps out your community stay safe and protected from Covid-19. Now that mask mandates have been lifted it is more important than ever to keep yourself safe along with others.