Maddie Mackin is a Certified Pharmacy Technician at Hyvee Pharmacy in Egan, Minnesota. Usually, Pharmacy Technicians are not qualified to administer vaccines, but due to the state of emergency during the pandemic, an online course followed by an in-person skills assessment allowed these technicians to aid in the fight against COVID-19 and influenza by administering vaccines in Minnesota. 

 On March 29th, people 16 and older were approved to receive the Pfizer vaccine, and people 18 and older were approved to receive the Moderna vaccine. Mackin explains, “Both of these two brands have been approved because they have really high efficacy rates. In other words, they have been found to work really well for most people.” However, neither one has been fully FDA approved, and has only been FDA certified; Mackin says that every person receiving these vaccines also receives a pamphlet explaining that due to the state of the pandemic, this approval has been deemed safe enough by the FDA, even with the lack of complete testing.  

Since March 29th, Mackin’s location, as well as many others, have seen a large increase in the amount of young people looking to get a vaccine. This will, hopefully, lead to a case number decrease throughout the state and the nation. So, if a person of this age group is able, it is vital that they receive this vaccine to save lives and help slow the spread of COVID-19. 

As amazing as this is, Mackin shares another side of the story that many tend to overlook: “Because of the increase in eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine, there has been a big disparity in under-served communities being able to find appointments and availability.” Thus, even while the country is headed towards a fully vaccinated population, it is still important to remember every person in society is equal and deserves to be protected from this deadly pandemic.