The Young Journalist - March/April 2021

ISSUE 2
THE YOUNG
What young people think about the vaccine
At the time of writing this, over twelve
million having received their first dose,
I decided to investigate what young
people think about the vaccine.
While the majority of us have not been badly
‘infected’ with the virus, young people’s minds
have been affected. A survey conducted by
the Young Minds charity showed that 41% of
young people believe that the coronavirus crisis
has made their mental health worse. For them
the vaccine provides hope: hope for their lives
returning to normal and hope for interaction with
their friends and families around a table or at
parties and pubs, but ultimately: hope for their
mental health improving.
I conducted my own
poll to find out what
151 people aged
between 15 to 22
think. The results
showed that 87% of
them would accept
the vaccine, if offered,
and 13% would
not. A 19 year-old
politics student from
Bristol said that she would be ‘a bit hesitant’, as
she is allergic to paracetamol and ibuprofen, so
would need some reassurance. Scientists have
opined that if you have severe allergies you
should speak to your doctor before taking the
vaccine. An 18 year old A-Level student from
Chartridge said she would ‘like a choice’ on which
of the vaccines she would accept: the Pfizer/Bio
NTech, Oxford/AstraZeneca, the Moderna and
the newly-approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
When I pressed her further on why she wanted a
choice in vaccine, she said she wanted to do her
own research. She wished to make an informed
decision, and which one she thought would
be most effective and safe, rather than have it
dictated to her; as she feels she can make her own
decisions about important parts of her life - as
do other young people! Another student from
Amersham said he would not accept the vaccine
as he does not feel he ‘needs’ it and wouldn’t be
severely affected by the virus’, and ‘would rather
other, more vulnerable, people, have it.’
The development and roll-out of the vaccines
have been implemented rapidly and are in high
demand. In time, there will be more research
into the long-term effects, especially pregnant
woman and fertility. A statement released by Dr
Edward Morris, President at the Royal College of
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says ‘there is no
evidence to suggest that Covid-19 vaccines will
affect fertility’. However, there is limited research
into this, so when more is known about the
vaccine, the scientists can confidently address the
queries. Fertility is the biggest concern for young
people, as 60% of the people who said they
would not accept the vaccine, said it was because
of this lack of knowledge about fertility.
On the basis of the data and comments I have
received it seems that the majority of my peers
see the importance of the vaccine in protecting
themselves and others; whilst other people
remain undecided because of
health issues. If you are under
25, will you take the vaccine?
Please win a signed let us know copy by of filling out
the short online survey. Go to :
www.amershamtogether.co.uk/
AC Hatter’s - Callum Fox
vaccine and the Mousehole Ghost
To Melanie enter go to: Wood
www.beaconsfieldtogether.co.uk/competition
Closing date: 10th April
Please note: The opinions and findings expressed in this article are
solely those of the author and should not be assumed to be those of
Amersham Together or its affiliates.
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