Every week, junior Walker Livingston clocks into Chapel Hill Gymnastics for a shift helping with youth classes. Livingston is not only designated an Essential Childcare Worker, but also living with a high-risk condition, making her age not as big of a safety net as many would think. For many East students just like Livingston, Phase 3 has allowed many students who work various after-school jobs, from food service to lifeguarding, to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
North Carolina began Phase 3 vaccinations at the beginning of March, with access to the shot becoming far more widespread amongst younger people. Among many jobs, the phase allows restaurant employees, teachers and grocery store workers to be eligible for the vaccine. At this time though, accessibility is still restricted to older students, as the FDA has only approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in people aged 16 and older, and the Moderna vaccine for 18 and up.
“I deliver for DoorDash, so it’s not like I have close contact with many people, but it’s still enough of a reason to get the vaccine,” senior Christina Gao said.
Because Phase 3 is one of the earliest chances teenagers have to get the vaccine, some students say they feel guilty about getting the shot before other high-risk people, who are members of Phase 4.
“I felt kind of bad because I felt like, as a teenager with a job I shouldn’t be getting it before people with actual health conditions,” Livingston said. “But, obviously, to get herd immunity and keep more people safe, I have to get vaccinated and other people have to get vaccinated too.”
To many, getting the vaccine was an important consideration before coming back to in-person school March 22. For others, though, they still say that the risk is too great.
“I’d feel more safe as a vaccinated person going back to school, but the reality is that not many other students are going to be vaccinated,” Livingston said. “I think the vaccine is just raising my hopes for a normal fall semester once everyone’s vaccinated.”
Senior Oona McCaughan put it simply, saying, “I wasn’t planning on going back and I’m still not going back.”
For the group of students planning to return this March, though, the vaccine is an extra layer of caution.
“I was going to go back, anyways,” Gao said. “My mom wanted me to finish off my senior year, and it’s the easiest option now that everyone in my house has the shot. I guess I just feel safer, but I don’t have to worry as much about spreading it to my family.”
As students are looking forward to a life after the pandemic, they hope to make up for lost social time from the past year.
“I really do miss seeing people,” McCaughan said. “I’m hoping that I’ll be able to hang out with my friends because they’ll be vaccinated. Now, I’m just hoping I’ll have a normal first semester of college.”
Photo courtesy of Holly Thompson/ Flickr
