The COVID-19 vaccine is starting to become available and more accessible to people in Washington, and I will be jumping on the chance to get the vaccine as soon as I can.

Personally, I believe it is safer to get the vaccine because even though I know I can recover from the virus more easily if I get it, other people might not be, and I would like to do my part in keeping them safe if I can. 

Malena Mendez-Ortiz, junior architecture major, has already received her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Mendez-Ortiz said she decided to get the vaccine because she feels like it is safer to be vaccinated. 

“[People] would probably be more protected from getting the virus,” she said.

Noah Wilson, freshman history teaching major, is planning on getting the vaccine as well. 

He said he is in the medium at-risk group because he has a neurological disorder. He said he would prefer to have a little bit more protection from COVID-19.

“Then there’s the whole thing with it going to other people,” he said. “I’d rather not hurt anybody else by giving them the coronavirus if I’m out and about and don’t even know that I have the virus.”

The three of us all agree the vaccine is the best option to keep ourselves and people we interact with safe from COVID-19.

While a lot of people are planning on getting the vaccine, some people are planning on completely avoiding it. 

Of course, there are some reasons why getting a vaccine would not be possible. It is ultimately everyone’s choice on whether they get one or not.

But with an issue as big as COVID-19, I believe that if you have the ability to get the vaccine, you should take that chance. 

Wilson said he knows someone who would have to get the Johnson and Johnson vaccine because of their issues with two separate shots. In that case, it would be understandable why someone would need to be more cautious, he said.

“If somebody has some sort of condition, I can understand why they wouldn’t get [the vaccine],” he said. “But for any other reason, I really don’t understand why you wouldn’t get it.”

Mendez-Ortiz said she wishes everyone would get the vaccine because it would make everything easier. 

“If you don’t want to get [the vaccine], you don’t have to,” she said. “But why wouldn’t you get it if you have the opportunity to.”

The three of us are pretty much on the same boat for this area as well.

Getting the vaccine for COVID-19 is very important, and I think people should take the chance to get it once it is available to them for safety purposes. 

The idea of in-person classes next semester is floating around in the air, and I believe people should be thinking about getting the vaccine because of that.

If we go back to in-person classes, even just part of the time, we would be interacting with multiple people throughout the day in classrooms and hallways. 

I do not think the vaccine should be required to attend in-person classes right now because we do not even know if we will be taking in-person classes next semester. But once everything opens up to full capacity all the time, I do think the vaccine should be required.

However, Mendez-Ortiz said she thinks the vaccine should be required to attend in-person classes.

“It would make sure nothing would go back to how it was like when it started, if everything were to open back up normally,” she said. 

Wilson said he thinks the vaccine should not be required until at least two years, if the pandemic is still ongoing.

“I think if it is still an issue [after two years], it should be required,” he said. “But right now, it shouldn’t be required.” 

While I agree with Mendez-Ortiz that the vaccine would make everything safer, I still think we would be taking safety precautions while attending classes in person despite being vaccinated for COVID-19. 

So, until the term “COVID restrictions” goes away, I think the vaccine should be highly recommended rather than required.