The pandemic has been happening for almost a year now, and many are weary of it continuing. Now there is a new vaccine that can help to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The thing is that not everyone can get the shot, and not everyone wants to get the shot. Some think it would help stop the spread, some think is not going. Rocky’s teachers shared their thoughts on getting the vaccine. 

Covid-19 has affected so many people’s lives; many lost their jobs as the nation quarantined and many have lost loved ones because of the pandemic. There are several vaccines available now, including the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna vaccine, and Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 

Symptoms of the Covid-19 virus include: Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea. If you feel any of these, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) encourages people to get tested and quarantine to avoid spreading the virus. 

Mr. Brian Ruhl, a math teacher at Rocky Mountain High School, shared that he has had the Covid-19 virus and has received the vaccine. Ruhl said the vaccine is “one step to get back to normal.”

Ruhl continued, “The first thing I noticed was when I woke up and my taste and smell was gone. I went to get the test and it came back positive.” He stated that the test “hurt and stung.”

Ruhl also said, “I think that the vaccine will not stop it completely, but [the vaccine] would slow it down a bit.” He got the vaccine and experienced some side effects: he had “chills and [he] felt like [he] got hit by a bat on the arm.” Ruhl also “knows a lot of other people that got the shot.” 

Mr. Kirk Steffensen, a Special Education teacher at Rocky, said he got the Covid-19 vaccine. After getting the shot, he experienced “chills and discomfort in the arm.”

Steffensen said that getting the vaccine may help decrease the spread of the Covid-19 virus: “I don’t think [it will stop it] 100%, but it would help.”

Steffensen “doesn’t mind” wearing a mask and he “tries to follow the guide lines.”

However, the vaccine affected his life in a big way: “With my daughter, I have to explain to her why some people choose not to wear mask and why she has to wear a mask.” Steffensen also shared that “the first 3-4 months [he] had to work from home were hard on [him].” 

Many are hoping that the vaccine will help to signal the end of the pandemic and a return to normal life.