The Covid-19 vaccine took less than 12 months to be developed and approved just after the start of the global pandemic. While many welcome the option to be vaccinated, other question whether its safety.

Senior Towner Perry says he wouldn’t get the vaccine unless it became a law because he feels it is unnecessary to take it. 

“I don’t think the vaccine was rushed,” Perry said. “You had a president who cared for this country and didn’t want to see it fall, so he put the vaccine into warp speed and so far it’s been doing great.”

Sophomore Abigail Harper says she would get the vaccine because she sees it as a necessity in order to save people’s lives. 

“I’ve been eagerly awaiting a vaccine for months, and I was so happy to know that my mom got it,” Harper said. “My mom is working to obtain one for me. I work in a relatively safe environment, but I would still appreciate it. I want to keep the patrons of the business I work at safe.”

 There are some side effects that have come from getting the vaccine such as pain and swelling in the arm with the shot and also the rest of the body may experience fever, chills, tiredness, and headaches, according to the CDC.

“I know a lot of people are far yes and far no on this issue,” Perry said. “I’ve seen videos of people pretending that they got the vaccine and acting like the vaccine gave them Tourette’s. I personally don’t care about it.  I’ve just noticed that when I take the flu shot, I end up getting sick anyway so to me it makes no difference.”

Spanish teacher Melissa Badger says she is willing to take the vaccine. 

“The only reason I wouldn’t get it is if there were severe side effects, which studies so far have not demonstrated,” Badger said. 

People who are at high risk for Covid should get the vaccine first after medical professionals, according to the CDC.

“I want the vaccine because I’m in a higher-risk group and I want to be able to have school like we normally would,” Badger said. “Until enough people are vaccinated, it will be difficult for that to happen.”

Vaccine development is a long, complex process; this process usually takes 10-15 years and it involves many influences from public and private institutions, according to the History of Vaccines.

“Nurses and doctors are hesitant to get the vaccine because it hasn’t been tested to the extent it normally would be,” Harper said.  “I don’t think that there’s a lot that could deter me from taking this vaccine.”

“It’s a little fast, but from some of the info I’ve seen, vaccines aren’t made like they used to, so it cuts out some of the traditional issues with creating vaccines quickly,” Badger said.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is made out of mRNA used from the coronavirus strain.

“One of the reasons my mom got the vaccine is that there is no virus in the vaccine. I think that people are really confused about that, and it needs to be said,” Harper said. “So the vaccine actually is innovative in that it uses messenger RNA (m-RNA) to protect against the virus.”

There are a lot of conspiracies with this vaccine, in a study of 1289 people 258 people believe that there was a microchip in the vaccine and 44% of them being Republicans in a study done by BBC.

“People have been spreading rumors that Bill Gates planted microchips in the vaccines to control us, and I think that it’s probably more likely that Jeff Bezos would do that, but they both suck, so who cares,” Harper said. “But the point is that there are no microchips in the vaccine.”

In Indiana, business owners are allowed to require the vaccine for their workers, according to WFYI. But, states aren’t allowed to mandate getting the vaccine according to the 14th Amendment. 

“I’d only take the vaccine if it becomes law because I don’t care about it so I’m not going to waste my time getting a vaccine and it makes me feel terrible for a couple of weeks,” Perry said.

“You should be required to take it,” Harper said. “When you refuse to take the vaccine, you are not only hurting yourself, you are scorning the lives of others. Those who are elderly, those with asthma and allergies, those who have underlying conditions such as risk of heart attack or stroke are at risk. This is not a time to debate if the COVID vaccine is going to give you cancer, or allow a billionaire to spy on your day to day life. This is a time to get your act together and get a vaccine.”