Welcome back to WatchDog! It’s been an eventful couple of weeks with new schedules, Covid news, and more, but it’s always important to stay up to date with politics, national events, and local events.
For vaccine news, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was approved in early March. Unlike Pfizer and Moderna, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine only requires one dose. The promising news continues, because on March 2nd President Biden addressed the nation with his thoughts on the vaccination timeline. He first highlighted the collaboration in manufacturing the vaccines, comparing it to war-time efforts. Then, he claimed “We’re now on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in America by the end of May” (WhiteHouse.gov). In New Hampshire, an exciting milestone comes this week, since teachers and school staff will start being vaccinated on March 12th, according to Governor Sununu at a press conference (nhpr). Even with the increased vaccine efforts, it’s important to stay vigilant about mask wearing and social distancing. This is also important, because the minimum age for the Pfizer vaccine is 16, and the Moderna vaccine is 18. Younger high school students aren’t eligible yet. Dr. Fauci did have promising news for the future though, “Hopefully by the time we get to the fall term, they will be vaccinated and that’s why we’re pushing on those studies to occur” (NY Post). He also mentioned that trials and testing are being done to test vaccine efficacy for the younger population.
Local News: Next, here are some of the election results from March 9th. There were spots available for the school board, and they went to Melissa Stevens and Melinda Bator. Article II of the School Vote involved spending additional money for updated sprinkler and alarm systems at McKelvie, Peter Woodbury, and Riddle Brook, but the measure did not pass. Article III was the negotiated agreement with the professional staff, and this article and the operation budget passed (Election Information).
