College students and the vaccine

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the rush of creating a vaccine that can help the world return to normalcy. Moderna and Pfizer are the two main vaccines being administered worldwide in order to prevent the spread and severity of the virus. These vaccines can be the difference of life and death when it comes to the challenges and sickness faced by the pandemic. 

The United States has split up vaccinations into phases, 1A, 1B and 1C. As of right now these are the only vaccination phases that exist and follow CDC guidelines. These phases include any health care workers, long-term care facility residents, those 75 years and older, non-health care frontline essential workers, those over 65 years of age, anyone aged 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions and essential workers not included in phase 1B. 

As the COVID-19 vaccine is delegated and administered throughout the country many wonder when they will be able to receive the immunization. College students question when they will be given the chance to register for a vaccine that can help keep them in face-to-face learning. Typical college students range from 17 to 24 years of age, and will most likely be the last within the United States to be vaccinated.

Education is essential and with COVID – 19 hindering students’ ability to learn, should they be higher up on the list, and is it right for students to lie and cut in line for this vaccine? Students who follow COVID-19 guidelines are being disregarded as the spread of COVID-19 rises throughout campuses across the U.S. Students will continue to suffer and spread the deadly virus until they are given the chance to be vaccinated, but most do not see this opportunity to protect education as essential to immunizing college campuses in America.

There is no doubt that phases 1A, 1B and 1C should be first in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, but shouldn’t college students be next?