Friday May 21, 2021 | VICTORIA, BC
Commentary by Molly Pearce for Island Social Trends
It is finally time for youth across British Columbia to roll up their sleeves, as the province’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout reaches young people.
BC youth, including teens ages 12-17, may now register for the first dose of the vaccine. Among these young people, my peers and I share all the excitement that our older counterparts have experienced, if not even more. We have been waiting the longest, after all.
Young people can go with friends, parents or guardians to get their vaccine. Teens age 12-17 years do not require parental permission to get their vaccine as they are considered mature minors under the BC Infants Act.
The Pfizer vaccine is now being used for young people getting their first dose, a fact that has parents and older family members a little bit jealous. Many adults in BC will have received the AstraZeneca vaccine if they booked their first dose appointment at a pharmacy. Concerns over rare blood clots fortunately won’t add to the stress that young people face due to the pandemic.
There is lots of talk about who will get their shots first among the social circles of teens and young adults. Those I know working on the front lines, such as practicum student nurses and young teachers, have long since had their vaccines. These lucky young professionals are simply waiting for their friends to catch up.
Meanwhile, some young people who have not yet taken the initiative to register with the Province for their COVID vaccine watch enviously on, while perhaps Googling to find the BC Provincial Health vaccine registration website. One or two others remain unconcerned. In either case, these people in these circumstances will not be called upon for a vaccine appointment until they register. All BC residents age 12 years and up can now (as of May 20) register on the BC Get Vaccinated website.
Many newly vaccinated young people are already looking ahead to their second dose, as they anticipate a return to in-person classes and work in the fall. Questions remain as to what academic and work lives will look like for youth in BC, going forward.
Universities and colleges have promised in-person classes, but many BC institutions have not elaborated on concrete plans for safety measures, lecture capacities, and laboratory and research work. Now that they have their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, will a second dose ensure a smooth return to the status quo? BC’s young people will have to wait a little longer to find out. //
===== About the writer:
Molly Pearce, 19, of Victoria (Oak Bay Secondary grad), is a freelance writer for Island Social Trends. She is home for the summer on Vancouver Island having completed her second year at McGill University in Montreal.
Follow IST Youth Trends on Twitter. | Island Social Trends Editor: Mary P Brooke
===== LINKS:
Premier, Health Minister & Provincial Health Officer announce COVID vaccination for BC teens (Island Social Trends, May 20, 2021)
Get Vaccinated – how to register (BC Health website)