Where would you stand in line for coronavirus vaccine?
With a COVID-19 vaccine hopefully around the corner, many U.S. citizens have been wondering how soon they would be able to get the vaccine.
Image by pearson0612 from Pixabay
When the coronavirus vaccine becomes available, some may be waiting awhile for theirs.
Nothing is for certain during this unprecedented time. Although, we can be more hopeful given the developments of two vaccines from the U.S. pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer and a just-released vaccine from British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca that, after a mistake in testing the dosage, is found to be 90% effective and can be housed in warmer temperatures than Moderna and Pfizer.
On to where you, a Bethel Park High School student, would most likely “place in line” for a COVID-19 vaccine. It is not 100% clear the procedure in which the virus will be distributed to the public, but many are hopeful for it to be out to essential workers and high-risk patients by the very end of 2020.
The following statistics are from an interactive article from the New York Times, titled “Find Your Place in the Vaccine Line” by Stuart A. Thompson. Working with both Surgo Foundation and Ariadne Labs and their new vaccine tool, NY Times has calculated “the number of people who will need a vaccine in each state and country — and where you might fit in that line.”
For many of us, it will be a long time until we receive the vaccine, as Thompson states in his article: “If you’re a healthy American. you may wait many months for your turn.”
Below is the general list of where some BPHS students and some BPHS teachers may potentially place in line. *Note that this is an estimation and that the order for the vaccine hasn’t specified if it is approved for people under 18.
If you are 18 with no health risks you place behind 611,700 citizens in Allegheny County and 144.1 million citizens across the US.
If you are 18, 17, 16, 15, or 14 with health risks you place behind 123,800 citizens in Allegheny County and 23 million citizens across the US.
If you are 17, 16, 15, or 14 with no health risks you place behind 763,800 citizens in Allegheny County and 185.6 million citizens across the US.
If you are a teacher around the age of 41 (the average age of teachers in Pennsylvania) with no health risks you place behind 582,000 citizens in Allegheny County and 135.7 million citizens across the US.
If you are a teacher around the age of 41 with health risks you place behind 123,800 citizens in Allegheny County and 23 million citizens across the US.