Announcing that 16-year olds are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Arkansas, Government Asa Hutchison is now opening up the virus to many more people, hoping to stop the virus in its tracks. The pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, says that the vaccine is “safe and 100 percent effective in preventing the illness in teenagers 12 to 15.” This will possibly lead to it being opened for them in Arkansas as well.

Following this announcement, many students have begun to get the vaccine, including Seniors Jacqueline Sanchez and Natalie Herrera, and Sophomore Connor Pianalto.

“I chose to get the vaccine because I believe it’s important to try and stop the spread of COVID-19 as soon as possible,” Herrera said. “I also want to make sure to keep myself healthy as well as my family and others around me.”

As of now, a little less than 19% of Arkansans are fully vaccinated, meaning they have both doses. This adds up to more than 1,400,000 doses administered in Arkansas.

“I felt completely fine,” Sanchez said. “I only experienced minor pain in my arm, but that was it. I know of some people who did experience fever and body aches, but that’s normal.”

They are hoping that this vaccine will make them and others around them safer.

“I don’t really feel safer because I have never gotten it, but it’s more of a ‘just in case’ kind of thing,” Pianalto said. “I don’t really worry about getting the virus I more work about not spreading it.”

Both Sanchez and Herrera are planning to get their second dose of the vaccine on April 8th. They are required to wait at least 3 weeks in between the first and second doses.

“My friend and I actually went and got our vaccines together which I think was kind of cool because we got to go through this experience together,” Herrera said. “Most of my family members have already received their first dose of the vaccines as well and I know a couple of other students and friends who have also gotten their vaccine.”

They are both hoping this will take a positive step towards progressing back to normal life in the near future. Though, that is unlikely to happen according to Pianalto.

“There is no possible way that anything could bring us back to normal life at this point,” Pianalto said. “The world has changed and we won’t be able to resume normal life anymore because of the year that we have spent in this pandemic and how we have changed our society to be more isolated than extroverted, so now people will be more sparse in social places like parks, arcades, movies and such.”