Opinions expressed in the Op/Ed section of The Knight Crier are not necessarily reflective of the views of the entire staff of the KC. 

As a vaccinated teen, I think that the Covid-19 vaccine should be down to a person’s choice and not forced upon by the government. It is a personal choice, not anyone else’s. The Covid-19 vaccine should remain optional.

With the Covid-19 vaccine being approved for everyone above the age of five, concerns have been raised on what will happen to you if you haven’t been vaccinated yet. In some areas vaccine cards are being used almost as a passport to go into public buildings, bars & restaurants, to go to the gym and to attend concerts. In New York City everyone above the age of twelve must have at least one dose of the vaccine and show their vaccine card to enter places indoors. Workers at these places must also be vaccinated. This is just one example of a city where you must be vaccinated to go indoors. 

As a vaccinated individual I don’t worry for myself, but for my friends and family I do have concerns. College is coming up for me and my friends-  will they be declined because of Covid-19 vaccination status? Will my family members be allowed to fly in for Thanksgiving? These are all things that are in question right now, and as vaccine mandates continue to become more prevalent, we must wonder what this trend will lead to in the coming months. 

People shouldn’t be punished for declining the option to be vaccinated for Covid-19. 

Even celebrities and pro athletes are getting punished for not having the vaccine. Aaron Rodgers is the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. It was revealed earlier this month that he had tested positive for Covid-19 and would not play in week 9 of the NFL season against the Chiefs. The whole controversy around him is that back in August he released a statement that he was “immunized” against Covid-19. It has been released that he hasn’t actually gotten the vaccine. Rodgers was dropped by Prevea Health, who he has been an endorser with since 2012. 

“I’m an athlete, I’m not an activist. So I’m gonna go back to doing what I do best and that’s playing ball.” said Aaron Rodgers.

Situations like this on a bigger scale show how any individual can be affected. 

Losing jobs, being limited to restaurant eating and not receiving organ transplants are many of the things that unvaccinated individuals can suffer from. Vaccination status shouldn’t affect one’s ability to receive an organ donation. UW Health in Wisconsin requires both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to even be considered for the organ transplant waitlist. If you don’t want to get the vaccine you can always go to a different hospital, but it could be a longer process. Other hospitals could require this in the future, but for the present it is unknown. 

It’s beginning to look like an optional vaccine might be looking almost mandatory to in the near future, a trend that should not continue.