As COVID-19 continues to ravage, President Joe Biden has announced plans for an aggressive national vaccination program that will speed up the process of getting citizens vaccinated, yet not all Bucks County residents are keen on rolling up their sleeves.
In a press briefing on Feb. 1, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the new administration is working closely with governors to assure expedient distribution for those most in need. “We are developing different plans for proper distribution,” Psaki said.
The Biden Administration plans to increase supplies to all states by 16 percent over the next three weeks. Biden has repeatedly proclaimed in his speeches that his goal is to have 100 million doses available in his first 100 days in office.
Bobby Braun, a senior at Harry S. Truman High School in Bristol Township, is suspicious of receiving the shot.
“I’m concerned about how quickly it was developed and approved,” Braun said. “The vaccine is none like any other, it’s a mRNA vaccine that attaches itself to DNA, it’s too much of a risk.”
There are approximately 27,232,025 Coronavirus cases in the U.S., with a reported 464,208 deaths. About 30 million Americans have been inoculated.
The CDC and other scientists have been studying herd immunity, but it is still unclear what percentage of people need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity where if enough people are inoculated, it becomes difficult for the virus to continue to spread.
Still, there are some Bucks residents that are in favor of receiving the vaccine when available to them, while some have already acquired the shot.
Bucks resident and social work major at West Chester University, Victoria Rodway, plans on getting vaccinated. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there are side effects. Not too worried, I am accepting the risk,” Rodway said.
Ian Baldwin of Newtown has received his first dose of Pfizer’s version of the vaccine.
“I had no worries. I wanted the vaccine because I’m afraid of COVID-19 and have lung scarring,” Baldwin said. “It was very safe. Aside from arm soreness about a week, I had no side effects. It was a great experience and I look forward to my second shot.”