NECC Observer

The student news website of Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill and Lawrence, Mass.

Students react to COVID-19 vaccine news

On the 13th of December, the Covid vaccine was being packaged and prepared to be distributed all across the country. The vaccine made history, becoming the fastest ever created. Other vaccines have taken years and years to be developed. The first dose was given to Sandra Lindsay, a nurse who works at a hospital in Queens, NYC. Soon, the vaccine will be available for the population.

Soon things may return to normal, and students will see the day that class will return to an in person format. (NECC plans a mostly onlne semester for spring 2021 though.)

Most are excited while cautious about the vaccine, considering how quickly it was manufactured.

Nisaly Gonzales, 22, of North Andover, who is majoring in liberal arts at NECC says, “I feel the vaccine is good but bad at the same time.” She adds a tone of caution and worry about people ignoring social distancing rules before the population is truly out of the woods.

Another student, Erica Shwabe, 22, who is majoring in arts at NECC is glad about the vaccine.

She says, “Glad we have one at least, and kinda amazed how quickly everyone managed to make one with results.”

Shwabe is planning on getting the vaccine, especially with the goal to further protect those around her. She hopes that others will do the same too. She believes people should be careful however. “The more precautions, the less likely to spread.”

Many still have the virus, and so the spread will take a while to slow down until a majority of people are vaccinated.

Some students have questions about how the school should handle the vaccine, and questions about making it a requirement arise.

Shwabe says that it shouldn’t be, as well as other students like Gonzalez. Shwabe states, “At the very least, a form would be doing something,” in order to notify the school who doesn’t have the vaccine, just so the school can be aware.