The Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is now bigger than ever. With a total of over 21.7 million cases and 365 thousand deaths (according to Google News as of January 8), it is difficult to see the bright side of things. But recently, new strides have been made for the vaccine to stop the Coronavirus in its tracks.

The very first person to receive this finished vaccine was 90-year-old Irish grandmother, Margaret Keenan, who was recently injected with an all new vaccine developed by Pfizer, an American bio-pharmaceutical company. 

Needless to say, this is great news for the rest of the world, who have been suffering financially, physically and emotionally. But just because there is a vaccine does not mean we can drop our safety precautions such as masks, hand sanitizer, frequent hand washing, desk dividers and social distancing.

According to Yelp, 60 percent of businesses that have closed down due to the virus are closed permanently, and small businesses aren’t the only businesses that are feeling the virus take its toll. Chuck E. Cheese, a popular kids arcade and restaurant franchise has filed for bankruptcy shut down in as many as three dozen locations nationwide, largely due to the Coronavirus. 

Many kids are excited about the new vaccine. Seventh-grade McAuliffe student Cole Arvizu told the Birdwatch, ¨I would definitely like to take [the vaccine], it’s cool we found a vaccine and it’s a big step in modern medicine.¨ According to the CDC, ¨[The] COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19. You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.¨ So if you have any reservations about getting vaccinated, just remember that any side effects you might experience are perfectly normal. In addition, the vice president, Mike Pence, got his vaccine publicly on Dec. 18 to further cement trust in the product. He received the same vaccine that Pfizer produced and gave to Margaret Keenan on Dec. 8.  

Also, in more recent news, one in every 100 U.S. citizens are now vaccinated, which is encouraging news for many people, especially since many hospitals in California have reached maximum capacity and are continuing to fill. This is tragic because those without the virus who have serious injuries or non-Coronavirus diseases cannot get adequate medical care. However, there is currently no vaccine for children ages 18 and under, so if you were planning on getting it early you are out of luck. The projected vaccine for kids will be out in late 2021.

Some students around campus are unsure of the vaccine and any side effects that might come with it. For instance, “Side effects may feel like flu and even affect your ability to do daily activities,” but according to the CDC, these should go away in about a week. Overall, this pandemic has affected everyone, including students around campus. Seventh-grader Grant Fedre accounted, ¨Yes, [the pandemic] is a serious issue because so many people have died from it.¨

The hope is that this vaccine will stop the pandemic by the end of this summer, but until then, stay home, wash your hands and stay safe.