Phase five of Kansas’s vaccine rollout plan went into effect Monday, March 29, which allows anyone over the age of sixteen to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. 

This is good news for many students at Mill Valley such as junior Logan Pfeister who received her first dose Wednesday, March 31.

“It’s really exciting that I am old enough to get [the vaccine],” Pfeister said. “It’s crazy that this started a year ago and I am already getting vaccinated.”

After seeing how COVID-19 affected her family, sophomore Helen Springer decided to get the vaccine. “I choose to get the vaccine to protect other people’s family,” Springer said. “The pandemic affected some of my family members personally like my grandpa and I wouldn’t wish that fear on any other family.”

Pfeister’s incentive to get the COVID-19 vaccine was to be able to return to a sense of normalcy.

“My biggest motivation to get the vaccine was to regain the freedom to hang out with my friends without feeling like I’m going to get Covid and to be able to eat in restaurants without worrying about contracting it while I’m there,” Pfiester said. “Basically all the little things we took for granted before Covid.”

Sophomore Reece Moulthrop encourages other students to sign up to receive the vaccine and hopes to ease the fears of anyone hesitant to get it.

“There were no downsides to getting the vaccine,” Moulthrop said. “I’ve felt little to no side effects other than a sore arm. Also, I have the biggest fear of needles and this was the easiest shot I’ve ever gotten. It hurt less than the flu shot.”

Springer is excited to see her extended family now that she was unable to see prior to being vaccinated.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing my extended family who weren’t able to come to town last year due to the pandemic,” Springer said.

For Moulthrop, the best part of being vaccinated is not having to constantly worry about the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I finally feel like I’m able to breathe again,” Moulthrop said. “I feel so much more comfortable going out in public and being around people. It almost makes me feel like things are going back to normal.”