Restaurant curfews are being pushed back to 12 a.m., all business COVID restrictions are being lifted and  there will be no table size limits in Connecticut by May 19th. Americans are moving closer to a normal life again due to the COVID-19 Vaccinations. 

So far there are three vaccines authorized for use in the United States. The first vaccine to be authorized was the Pfizer-BioNTech on December 11th, 2020. It was created in the U.S. but partnered with BioNTech, a biotechnology company based in Mainz, Germany, to test and produce its vaccine. This vaccine requires 2 doses. Its effectiveness reaches 52% 12 days after the first dose and 95% effective a week after the second dose.

Pfizer-BioNTech is the most costly out of all 3 vaccines, costing $20 a dose. Its side effects include tiredness, headaches, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea. Keith Roy, a Norwalk resident, reported a lot of pain and discomfort in his arm 10 days after getting the vaccine. If you are under the age of 16 sadly you are not eligible for this vaccine. You must be 16 years old and older.

The second COVID vaccine to be authorized in the U.S. is Moderna. It was authorized on December 18th, 2020. Moderna was created in the U.S. just like the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. You must take 2 doses, each 28 days apart. Each dose cost $15. Side effects include fever, chills, tiredness, and headache. People reported that side effects were more common after the second dose of the vaccine. Moderna has an age limit of being at least 18 years old. 

The most recent vaccine to be authorized here in the U.S. is the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which was released on February 27th, 2021. The J&J vaccine was developed by researchers at Harvard University and in the Netherlands. Unlike all the other vaccines, Johnson & Johnson is only 1 dose and is cheaper out of the 3 costing $10 per dose. There have been reports of blood clots in six of 6.8 million individuals who received the vaccine so far. Due to this complication, The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the U.S. pause on using the Johnson & Johnson. For this vaccine, you must be 18 and older. Jennifer Frentress, A Norwalk resident, was on bed rest for several days due to an awful fever after taking the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 

All vaccines have had fevers linked to the upper arm muscle shot. Public health experts have made it clear that all vaccines are effective. Do your research before choosing a vaccine. There are also 2 more vaccines almost ready to be authorized in the U.S., so keep an eye out. These two new COVID-19 Vaccines are Novavax and AstraZeneca.

Do you miss concerts, seeing family and school with all your friends? It is essential to get the vaccine for everything to go back to normal. You can go to The Stamford Hospital, a Norwalk Library and even a Walgreens.