As cases of COVID-19 continue to climb in the United States in the millions, the COVID-19 vaccine will be initially available in very limited doses in Kansas.

However, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) states that the number of doses will scale up in production rapidly, allowing for enough supply to vaccinate all.

Kansas health officials hope to finish the first phase of COVID-19 vaccinations by the end of January, meaning the general public should get its turn soon after.

Phase 2 includes people 65 and older, workers in kindergarten through 12th-grade schools like teachers, custodians, and other staff, and many others.

After Phase 2 is complete comes Phase 3: people ages 16 to 64 with serious medical conditions that put them at high risk for COVID-19.

Despite the limited doses, Maize South Nurse Katy Carter received the treatment for the vaccine in the first phase and she feels more healthy than ever, but does feel it’s personal choice from individual to individual if they plan on receiving the vaccine.

“I think that as far as taking the vaccine, each person will have to consider their own health and whether they should take it,” Nurse Carter said. “For me, it was the right thing and I took it.”

Maize South junior Tyson Herrman wishes that things would go back to normal, and with the vaccine distribution, that wish might come true to start the 2021-2022 school year in some sort of normal fashion.

“I would take the vaccine,” Herrman said. “I know it would help the immune system to protect me from the virus.”

Junior Tobin Grady believes that the vaccine was rushed, causing it to be less effective and he’s worried that it could cause health issues without it being a proven solution.

“I know that the vaccine for COVID-19 is controversial,” Grady said. “So I wouldn’t take it because, if you ask me, it’s too quick.”

Although the vaccine is controversial and has even become a political gesture for some, junior Anthony Hemberger believes that returning to normalcy will be delayed much more because of the incident that occurred in the Capitol and not just the deployment of the Covid-19 vaccine.

“With what’s happening in the Capitol, I don’t think things are going to normal anytime soon,” Hemberger said. “But I do believe that it will eventually go back to normal.”