Homestead High School's student newspaper

The Epitaph
Homestead High School's student newspaper

The Epitaph
Homestead High School's student newspaper

The Epitaph
After months of waiting, the COVID-19 vaccine has finally been authorized by the FDA and is being distributed across the country. 71% of Americans say they will "definitely or probably" get a Covid-19 vaccine and 39% said they would "wait and see" how initial vaccination goes before getting a vaccine themselves according to a survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The release of the vaccine might placate many for the current moment, but it won’t make everything go back to normal. Currently, the most advanced vaccines use three different approaches: viral vectors — using a harmless virus which is altered to contain part of COVID-19’s genetic code — RNA, which contains a synthetic version of part of COVID-19’s genetic code and protein subunit, which uses pieces of the COVID-19 virus, according to CDC. The release of the COVID-19 vaccine is great news as once the majority of the public have taken the vaccine, the spread of COVID-19 will potentially reduce, according to BBC News. It will shorten the time needed for the country to go back to normal. However, I am skeptical about the workings of the vaccine and this is part of my concern when trying to decide if I will take the vaccine. As COVID-19 continues to spread across the United States, misunderstanding of herd immunity has started to show up. Herd immunity is achieved when large percentages of a population become immune to a disease. Herd immunity against COVID-19 will be achieved by protecting people through vaccination, not by exposing them to the pathogen that causes the disease for developing immunity. In terms of COVID-19, the percentage of the population that needs to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity is estimated to be between 70% and 90%, according to David G. Hill, a member of the Lung Association's National Board of Directors. Although vaccines have helped the world get rid of deadly diseases such as fever and smallpox, the process always takes time and there are no guarantees ensuring the results of the COVID-19 vaccine will be positive. At this point, being vaccinated doesn't mean the full development of the immune system and one can still be exposed in crowded areas with no prevention, such as masks. The current coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective and has no serious side effects from the first set of complete results of a late-stage vaccine trial, according to Pfizer. This means out of 100 people, there would still be five people where the vaccine doesn't work. The vaccine should definitely be taken once the distribution has started, but just because the vaccine is here doesn't mean we shouldn't maintain precautionary measures. I hope the vaccines will eventually help bring the spreading of COVID-19 under control, but before that, the usage of masks in public areas and social distancing should be continued.

COVID-19 vaccine won’t take us to the past

By Jack Xu • March 19, 2021

After months of waiting, the COVID-19 vaccine has finally been authorized by the FDA and is being distributed across the country.  71% of Americans say they will "definitely or probably" get the vaccine...

After months of SAT cancellations, students prepare for what might be their last chance to take an SAT before submitting applications to colleges.

Administration prepares to host November SAT amidst pandemic

By Sahil Venkatesan • November 2, 2020

The statewide cancellation of SAT administrations across California led FUHSD district administrators to offer the SAT at every school in the district this coming Saturday, Nov. 7, FUHSD coordinator of...

Summer travel is almost at a standstill, as the world is dealing with a global-scale pandemic.

Adapting to a new type of summer vacation

By Karuna Chandran and Lia Klebanov • June 30, 2020

COVID-19 has caused many students to completely change their initial summer plans. To adapt to the situation at hand, several programs popular with high school students have shifted online. Sophomore...

Protests like that of Huntington Beach are lobbying for relaxed social distancing restrictions. What they do not realize is that this will only lead to another spike in cases.

The fight against coronavirus not over

By Leila Salam • May 23, 2020

COVID-19 is real. This is more than apparent as the coronavirus has already claimed the lives of 3,054 Californians, according to the LA Times. In order to reduce infection rates and keep people safe,...

Staying 6 feet apart from people who you are not quarantining with is an important step to slow down the spread of the virus.

Social distancing: A crucial step to slow the spread of COVID-19

By Amber Birrell and Christine Kim • April 30, 2020

As the novel COVID-19 continues to spread, social distancing becomes a necessity in most, if not all, communities around the world.  In an attempt to minimize the escalation of the pandemic, it is essential...

The shelter in place’s goal is to prevent large gatherings of people and slow the spread of the virus. Six Bay Area counties and the state of California have all imposed the shelter-in-place, along with other restrictions.

Shelter in place order extended, further restrictions imposed

By Karuna Chandran and Shruti Magesh • April 6, 2020

With the ongoing spread of COVID-19, six Bay Area counties — including Santa Clara County — issued shelter-in-place orders, which began on Tuesday, March 17 and was expected to last until Tuesday,...

STAFF EDITORIAL: Social distancing: the life-changing impact of staying home

STAFF EDITORIAL: Social distancing: the life-changing impact of staying home

March 17, 2020

School has been canceled. It seems like it’s the perfect time to meet up with your friends at Philz. Except, it isn’t. With 490 confirmed cases in California, according to the San Francisco Chronicle,...

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