WEARING MASKS: SAFE OR SORRY?

The Coronavirus has been around for a long time and people (for the most part) were accepting of the fact that masks were the only way we were going to stop the virus. 

Now there is another option: the vaccine. People 16 years and older could get the vaccine up until a couple weeks ago. Since teenagers ages 12-15 years old can now get the vaccine, should mask protocol at Lincoln Park still be in effect? Here we will look at opinions from students, recommendations, and facts from the CDC. 

When you get the vaccine, the CDC states that there is a two-week delay from your last shot to when you accumulate the antibodies to fight off the Coronavirus. Because there are less than two weeks of school left, the CDC recommends that the mask protocol should stay in effect. “Universal and correct use of masks should be required,” and “Physical distancing should be maximized to the greatest extent possible,” the CDC stated. 

Sara, a eighth grade student, shares her opinion on the protocol. “Until the CDC recommends it, I think we should continue doing what we are doing. No one is getting hurt by it,” she said.

Fellow eighth grader Ruby has a different opinion. “Wearing masks makes it harder to understand what people are trying to say. The people who are fully vaccinated shouldn’t have to wear them,”

You also have to look at the facts: wearing a mask now will stop the Coronavirus quicker, maybe fast enough that you can see your friends over the summer without the worry of getting sick. 

Everybody will still have different opinions on Lincoln Park’s mask protocol, but when equipped with the right facts, we can stop the Coronavirus and get back to normal.

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash