A daughter hugging her mother. A son holding his mother’s hand. A mother overcome with emotion that her own 95-year-old mother survived the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to more people getting vaccinated, these are the scenes we’ll get to see more of … scenes of love, hope and gratitude, after this year of quarantines and sickness.
Usually on Mother’s Day, many moms are treated to brunch, given candy and flowers or shown extra affection.
But since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, we have faced a year of social distancing, lockdowns and loss. And for many it meant not seeing or touching loved ones outside of their household.
But through global determination and ingenuity more people are getting vaccinated.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 45% of Americans have received at least one vaccine dose, and nearly one-third are fully vaccinated.
Just in Philadelphia, 249,752 have received a single dose and 545,470 are fully vaccinated as of Thursday.
Biden also announced a new federal website and phone number that will help people find the vaccination site closest to them. “We’re going to make it easier than ever to get vaccinated,” he promised.
Also, once fully vaccinated, experts say you can hug unvaccinated loved ones, such as children who have not been offered the shot yet because of their age.
We are beginning to return to normal as things begin to reopen. There will be fewer masks seen as well, since the CDC recently released guidance that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outside, except if they’re attending a crowded event. Fully vaccinated people also can gather indoors in small groups with others who are fully vaccinated, without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, the agency said.
Those getting fully vaccinated report feeling “lighter, as if a weight has been lifted.” That’s what the pandemic did to many of us, it weighed us down.
But what we will continue to see is that as more Americans embrace the vaccine, we’ll be able to embrace each other — especially our moms — again.
Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune