It’s now 2021, and this world is about to come up on a one-year anniversary with COVID-19. With new knowledge and ideas, professionals have been able to come up with a vaccine with a 94.1% efficiency rate. I have been fortunate enough to receive this vaccine and both of its doses.

Being a senior girl, I never thought I’d have to worry about a global pandemic robbing my final days of high school. COVID has taken my junior prom, senior homecoming, and regular high school day-to-day life. I was very lucky to have had the volleyball season I had in 2020. I have also been very lucky to be safe in the school I’m in. 

Not only am I having to stay safe in my school but also in my workplace. I work in an assisted living center, and it’s been very interesting working during the pandemic. I feel constant pressure that maybe I might bring the virus into the facility or into my school.

However, that worry is no longer there. I received my first COVID-19 vaccine on January 22 and my second dose on February 5. Though this helps enough, I also had tested positive for COVID in June of 2020. This has provided me with more protection from the virus. 

Though the vaccines have had a positive impact on my health, they have also made somewhat of a negative impact. Any shots can be a nuisance, but this one in particular was one of my worst experiences. I didn’t feel the needle itself, but the next day my arm was the sorest it’s ever been. The second dose was the same feeling in my arm, but it also made me feel like I had COVID all over again. I was dizzy and had a high-grade fever, and headaches. Along with this, I had dry mouth and constant stomach pains. 

It may seem crazy, but only about 3% of the United States’ population has received both doses of the vaccine. I almost feel guilty knowing that I, a normal girl in high school, am of that 3%. It’s made me change the way I feel about the pandemic. It’s sad to me that it had to be made political. A lot of people think it doesn’t work, and in my opinion those people are just stubborn. It’s been long enough now since the vaccine has been made and the society still hasn’t accepted the fact that it does help people. If we want to go back to our normal lives, we have to follow the guidelines given.