Those ages 16 and older were eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 1. Many teenagers are eager for this opportunity for their lives to regain some normality. 

So far, Connecticut has had a successful rollout of the vaccines for the previous age groups.

“Thanks to the efforts of the Biden administration, the number of doses being delivered to Connecticut is significantly increasing each week,” Governor Ned Lamont said in a press release on March 31, “and I am confident that within this next month we will get the vaccine to everyone who wants it.” 

Vaccines were originally going to be made available to those ages 16 and older in May, but the date was moved up to April. This initiated excitement and eagerness for Staples students who made the cut. 

“I was really excited, because it kept getting closer and closer, it was supposed to be May 5, and then April 5 and now April 1,” Coco Laska ’23 said, “so I was super excited because life could finally go back to normal.”

The whole world has not experienced pre-pandemic normalcy since early 2020, so this next step towards herd immunity is uncharted territory. With that being said, the vaccination of students also comes with some concerns.

“I think [people getting vaccinated] will make everybody more comfortable, which could be bad, if it doesn’t work as well as we think,” Laska said.

Another concern is how graduation for seniors will play out. Even though many seniors could be vaccinated by the time graduation comes around, some students and their families will not be vaccinated. 

“I think we are still going to have a [socially distanced] graduation, or a drive-by graduation, because while a lot more people are getting vaccinated, not everybody will be vaccinated,” Linnea Jagenberg ’21 said.

Despite some of the worries that come with the status of vaccinations, there are many positive outcomes that result from students getting their vaccines. 

“I worry more about the people I come in contact with, more than myself,” Jagenberg said. “I worry about spreading COVID, so if I get the vaccine, it can take away that stressor. It’s a relief.”

Additionally, most seniors at Staples are heading to college next year, and being vaccinated can produce a more enjoyable environment and the possibility of attending classes fully in-person.

“A lot of us are going to college,”Annoshka Sethi ’21 said, “[and] you just want to do things […] that are keeping others safe.”