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After a year-long stint of time indoors and away from people, the world is embarking on a vaccine journey that’s sure to give us all our lives back. That means by the end of 2021, most people will have to trade in their pajamas for work attire and shuffle their kids to the brick-and-mortar school system.
While getting back to our everyday lives looks attractive on the surface, the coronavirus will leave lasting scars, and it’ll take time to get back into the swing of regular life. But before we can think of returning to normal, let’s talk about the COVID-19 vaccine.
You, Your Kids, and the Vaccine
As you know, the vaccine distribution for COVID-19 is on a set schedule, starting with our most vulnerable population and ending with the least susceptible. While each state has its own supply of the vaccine and ways of distributing it, the general system is the same. And your location will determine where your area is in the process.
Whether you choose to get the vaccine or not, the youngest of our population won’t see vaccinations until the beginning of 2022. That means we will still need to protect them and wear a mask, but it doesn’t mean we can’t slowly work our way back to normalcy.
Getting Back to the Regular Schedule
One area many people neglected during the pandemic was regular in-person check-ups. A lot of people didn’t visit the doctor for well visits, preventative care, or dental cleanings. But as we move through the tail end of the pandemic, it’s time to start scheduling those appointments to get back on track. Monitoring your health has never been more critical than it is at this time, and as long as you protect yourself and the physician follows proper protocol, there’s no reason to delay.
Since many others will step back into the world with you, there might be a delay between when you make the appointment and when the doctor can see you, so call now to set your appointment for when you’re ready. Whether you need to see a dentist in Winnetka or an internist in New York City, now’s the time to book.
The Future of Travel
That same urgency for normalcy will likely extend to traveling as well, since most people all over the globe spent the majority of 2020 in their homes, extending into 2021. Travelers will snap up vacation spots, looking for places that are carefully sanitized and waiting for guests. That means it might be hard to secure your spot in COVID-safe hotels and vacation rentals. So, if you want to go on vacation later in the year, make your reservations now and ask about a cancelation policy in case the coronavirus makes a rebound.
The future of travel will be much like it was before, with a likely focus on cleanliness, mask-wearing, and check-ins online rather than in person.
Life Moving Forward
There will come a time when this will all be behind us, but the memory of what we’ve all been through and those we lost along the way will stay with us. As the pandemic hopefully wanes over the next year and you ease your way back into society, take your time. We’re all anxious to get our lives back, but we must remember to be cautious while we do it. The last thing any of us wants is to erase the progress we’ve made.