On May 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave vaccine for adolescents ages 12-15. Two days later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Exactly a week after that, 13-year-old Ethan Gann of East Hardwick got his first shot.
Ethan Gann co-reported this story with VPR鈥檚 Anna Van Dine. Audio for this story will be posted.
Anna Van Dine: Last Wednesday afternoon after a day of remote school, Ethan, his mom and his twin sister Sadie drove to Hyde Park to get their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
"It's going to make it so I don't have to wear my mask that often, and I can be around friends without being worried that something's going to happen." - Sadie
Ethan Gann: Sadie and I were in the backseat. I was feeling kind of nervous; she was not.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited, mostly, to get the vaccine,鈥� Sadie said. 鈥淏ecause, I don鈥檛 know, it鈥檚 going to make it so I don鈥檛 have to wear my mask that often, and I can be around friends without being worried that something鈥檚 going to happen.鈥�
Ethan Gann: If you鈥檙e an adult, it might not seem like a big deal that I was going to get a vaccine. But because I鈥檓 13, I kind of got used to the idea that I just wasn鈥檛 going to get it. I watched my parents get vaccinated, and my teachers, and my older sister, who鈥檚 18.
Anna Van Dine: Here in Vermont, there were more than 7,000 signups in the first 24 hours that kids Ethan鈥檚 age were allowed to get vaccinated.
Ethan Gann: My mom signed me and Sadie up right away. At school, kids were talking about when they were going to get it, if they were going to get it, and if they were nervous or not. Most of them were going to get it, and most of them, like me, were a little nervous.
Anna Van Dine: In the first week that signups were open, even more people registered. There are about 27,000, 12-to-15-year-olds in Vermont and, according to Health Commissioner Mark Levine, 鈥淭here's about 60% of them that have already gotten the needle or are awaiting it. So that鈥檚 really good.鈥�
This age group became eligible at the same time that Vermont stopped requiring vaccinated people to wear masks. And school gets out next month. So 12-to-15-year-olds didn鈥檛 just get vaccine eligibility; they may be in for a near-normal summer.
Ethan Gann: I鈥檓 looking forward to not wearing masks, for one. I鈥檓 also really excited to not have to worry about any responsibilities -- I鈥檓 free to do whatever I want. That鈥檚 the best thing about summer. But what about back-to-school?
Adam Rosenberg, the superintendent of my school district, said COVID-19 precautions like masking and distancing all depend on how many people get the vaccine. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really looking towards next fall in the hopes that things will loosen up,鈥� he told us.
Anna Van Dine: Rosenberg said he鈥檚 expecting to receive more guidance from the Agency of Education next month. He鈥檚 also thinking ahead to how he can track the number of kids who have been vaccinated. According to Dr. Levine, it鈥檚 also possible that schools could mandate the vaccine at some point.
But even if enough students get vaccinated, quote-unquote 鈥渘ormal鈥� might just be for middle and high school kids. There are a lot of Vermonters who are under 12 and not yet eligible for any of the vaccines.
Ethan Gann: I also have an 11-year-old sister, and she might not get vaccinated for months. I feel kind of bad for her -- I know what it鈥檚 like to have to wait.
"I want you to get back to normal, and be able to hang out with your friends, and me not worry about being like, 'OK, put your mask on; stand six-feet apart, you're too close,' 'cause that's not what childhood is about." - Sadie and Ethan's mom
For now, it鈥檚 just me and Sadie. When we got to the vaccine clinic, I signed in, and the nurse took me to a vaccine station.
Sitting in the chair, I thought back to last March, when school first went remote because of COVID-19, and all the days since, wondering when it鈥檚 going to end. And this was it. And what I felt wasn't so much nervousness, it was like ... Christmas.
鈥淥K,鈥� said the nurse, 鈥渏ust a quick little pick, keep that arm nice and relaxed.鈥�
It felt like nothing. 鈥淒id you do it?鈥� I asked her.
鈥淚 did it, you are done!鈥�
And that was it. My mom, my sister and I headed home.
In the car, my mom told us she鈥檚 glad we finally became eligible for the shot.
鈥淚 want you to get back to normal, and be able to hang out with your friends, and me not worry about being like, 'OK, put your mask on; stand six-feet apart, you鈥檙e too close,' cause that鈥檚 not what childhood is about. That鈥檚 not what being a teenager is about; you鈥檙e supposed to get closer to people at your age," she said. "And I鈥檓 excited for you to get that again.鈥�
I鈥檓 excited too. Getting the vaccine means being able to do things again, like hanging out with friends, or going to the movies. We lost so much freedom because of COVID-19, and now we can get it back.
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