The COVID-19 vaccine has been distributed for about three months and has had its fair share of controversy, but many issues are occurring whether or not teenagers and children should receive the vaccine as well, and eventually if it should become a mandatory vaccine for public schools. 

We should not make the vaccine a mandatory requirement to attend any school. 

The vaccine was primarily developed for adults and older, not those in adolescence or children. Receiving the current vaccine could be unsafe and negatively affect a child’s undeveloped body. Currently, development for a children’s version of the vaccine will not be made until “late 2021” as stated in an interview with Connecticut Children’s Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Juan C. Salazar.

If the vaccine is distributed and children have an unforeseen side effect, even if it is minimal, it can evolve if it is not dealt with appropriately. There have been reports of a stinging sensation from recipients of the current vaccines developed due to it being directly injected into the upper arm muscle. This fear can be what drives people away from receiving this vaccination, and the pain itself can potentially interfere with writing essays or working on complicated math or science problems.

When discussing why students should get the vaccine, the argument is that it could allow schools to hold essential experiences like prom or homecoming, but that may not be the case. If a school was to plan any large gatherings with other solutions that do not involve having to require vaccination to attend; events could be held as if the pandemic never existed. 

School life, on the other hand, has not been ruined, contrary to popular belief. Just because wearing a mask may seem daunting at times, it does not ruin your learning ability or school life, it just means that one cannot see people’s mouths move. That is really the only inconvenience that impacts students continually, which is not detrimental to academic progress. 

Schools that enforce the vaccine to attend their campus would cause issues with enrollment as young adults are not able to receive the vaccine at this point. This means those who are vaccinated can attend and get the education that they need. This would make students denied access to education that could be necessary for their futures. All of these chain effects could occur if an incoming student was to record themselves as unvaccinated in their application to the school of their choosing.

Another issue that arises when mentioning why vaccines should not be required is that many do not want to get vaccinated as it is their choice.  Overall, giving out a vaccine and making it a requirement to attend any public school could have many negative outcomes and be inconvenient for students in the future.