For the past year, only one question has been spinning through the minds of people all over the world: when will this all be over? 

It began with the thought of the virus only sticking around for a few weeks, but that hope quickly faded when COVID-19 was announced as classifying as a global pandemic. To say that this past year has been a complete roller coaster—from the two-week shutdown to a nationwide lockdown—would be a colossal understatement.

The question of normalcy arose numerous times, and many people wondered if things would ever get back to normal or if this would become the new normal.

However, recent distributions of the COVID-19 vaccine have answered that question: things will get back to normal, eventually.  

There are limitations on the number of vaccines allowed to be distributed a week, and there are hundreds of millions of people in the United States alone that need to receive this vaccine. In order to ensure anyone who is able and willing to be vaccinated receives it, much time is needed.

Receiving the vaccine does not mean the obstacles of COVID-19 are gone; there are still precautions that need to be taken until herd immunity is reached. 

Herd immunity for any virus can vary anywhere from 70% to 90% immunity among an entire population. For the coronavirus specifically, herd immunity is reached around 80-85% immunity. 

There is no physical way to distinguish between people who have received the vaccine versus those who haven’t, so preferential treatment towards those who have had the vaccine is undesirable. 

It’s simple for any unvaccinated person to act as they have received the vaccine, and COVID-19 cases will only rise in numbers if that preferential treatment is allowed. 

Realistically speaking, the true end of all health precautions taken due to COVID-19 will not be reached for months, maybe even years, but these precautions can end sooner if everyone is willing to cooperate with the demands of the vaccine. 

The most important thing to know is all of the current health precautions will remain in place until herd immunity is reached. This means it is vital, for anyone medically able, to receive the vaccine. 

There are few people medically unable to receive the vaccine, but that number does exist. There are also those who currently do not meet the age requirements to receive the vaccine. When you look at the total number of people medically unable to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, it defines how many people still need to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity: everyone. 

I understand there are those who will not want to receive the vaccine, but the only way to overcome COVID-19 is to, and I emphasize, vaccinate everyone medically able. 

There are numerous vaccine locations in Michigan alone, and it will only become more and more accessible. 

The sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner the precautions will begin to be lifted. From someone tired of dealing with the current health precautions, please schedule a vaccine appointment as soon as possible.