The United States has begun distributing the COVID-19 vaccine, but the unknown of it has caused many people to hesitate receiving it.

Frequently asked questions include: Is the vaccine safe? What are the long term effects of the vaccine? How effective is the vaccine?

A recent poll conducted by The Glen Echo sought out to answer these questions from the minds of a high school student. A young adult can provide an argument for both sides on whether or not it is okay to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. 

On one hand, high school students across the country are itching for this pandemic to end as soon as possible, and an effective vaccine can do just that. On the other hand, some students may question whether it is smart to risk getting a vaccine that could have some detrimental long-term effects.

59 students responded to the high school survey, in which over 67.8% indicated that they would take the COVID-19 vaccine if it is made available to them. 8.5% said they would not, while the remaining 23.7% stated that they needed to learn more about the vaccine before they could trust its safety and effectiveness. 

“After reading about recent news and the success of the vaccine even on new variants found in England and South Africa, I am in favor of the vaccine so we can get back to our normal lives,” said senior Nirvan Chandiramani.

One of the biggest concerns of the vaccine is that it was rushed, making scientists unable to determine the long-term health effects from it. However, there are many scientists and medical professionals that have publicly disagreed with this theory. 

“The vaccines weren’t really rushed, it’s just that technology and science got better,” said Dr. David Agus of California. “We can develop things much, more more quickly, because over a period of a decade or two we got good at this.” 

Although the majority of students appear to be willing to take the vaccine, there is still a substantial amount of people hesitant to take the vaccine.

“I would like to see more tests done with people who have already received the vaccine before I am comfortable getting it myself,” said senior Justin DeStaso. “I am also concerned with the unknown long-term effects and side effects that the COVID vaccine may possibly cause.”

DeStaso also expressed his concerns with taking the vaccine due to the food allergies that he has dealt with.

While the vaccine has been deemed safe and effective by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and more, the uncertainty of the vaccine will prevent many people from taking it until there is enough time to properly determine the unknowns.

While there is a divide between the students that are pro-COVID-19 vaccine or not, they all can agree that this pandemic needs to be resolved in the fastest and safest ways possible.