Dear V,
I am one of the first students that have been fully vaccinated on campus. For the past year, my life has been dictated by CDC guidelines. With that said, I am desperate to go back to enjoying life as usual. I miss partying with my friends in crowded bars and clubs, attending concerts and music festivals, and grinding up against some random frat boy. Can I do this without worrying that you will write an article about me being an asshole?
Sincerely,
Wannabe Good Person
If The Miami Hurricane wrote an article every time a student was an asshole, we would never sleep.
With that said, I am so ecstatic to see some of my peers already getting vaccinated. This is an effective way of protecting you and our community from getting sick.
After two weeks of receiving a single-dose shot or the second dose in a two-dose series, you are considered fully vaccinated.
Once you are fully vaccinated, life will begin to open up a bit more. You can finally throw that gathering with fellow vaccinated friends indoors without masks. Maybe a few of your unvaccinated friends could join in, unless they or someone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. If you come in contact with someone who has COVID-19, there is no need to quarantine as a vaccinated person unless you have symptoms!
It is a fact that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19 disease, especially severe illness and death. However, we still don’t know how effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus nor do we know how well these vaccines keep people from spreading the disease. This means that we still need to take some precautions. We aren’t completely back to normal yet.
When you are in public, gathering with many unvaccinated individuals, or visiting an unvaccinated person who is at increased risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19/lives with a person at increased risk, you need to take steps to protect yourself and others. Wear a mask, keep six feet apart, and avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.
Crowded indoor bars and clubs still may not be the move until the vaccines are more widely distributed. There are still many well-ventilated outdoor spots in Miami to get your groove on to some live music, as long as you keep that mask on. If you find yourself aching to grind on a handsome stranger, asking them to flex a COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card might just be your new pick up line.
I am just as desperate as all of you to get shit faced while pressed against sweaty strangers. We must keep on the right track as we learn more about this vaccine. The light is at the end of the tunnel. Let’s not f**k it up.
Sincerely,
V