Two months into the COVID-19 vaccinations and suddenly for some, it’s time to party. At least it seems that way in Massachusetts.

For a state who can’t figure out which way is up when it comes to getting its population appointments for vaccinations, a state who thinks students should be back fully in school by April, even without teachers being vaccinated, a state whose metrics on deaths, hospitalizations and active cases have declined but new cases have not, they have decided that it’s time to let loose on the TD Garden, Fenway and Gillette play to a live audience. Because priorities.

Considering that Fenway and Gillette are two of the mass vaccination sites, how do they intend on doing vaccinations and play baseball and football games? Don’t tell me Massachusetts thinks all the people who want/need to be vaccinated will be vaccinated by Opening Day. Or even Patriots pre-season. Because they won’t. I hope they’re not thinking the state won’t need those mass vaccination sites by that time. At the rate we’re going, we’ll be lucky anyone who wants a vaccination in Massachusetts will have gotten it by Christmas.

And don’t get me started on restaurants. Because those places are the last places I want to be. COVID doesn’t disappear just because your table is six feet away from the party next to you. It doesn’t disappear when you take your mask off to eat. Even if you wore it coming in and when you leave.

I can understand how everyone is feeling. We’re all sick of COVID. So many literally. But such a small fraction of people in the state, many of who won’t even go to a restaurant or a baseball, basketball or football game, have received both of their vaccinations. In fact, as of right now there are more people who HAVE NOT received their vaccination than those who HAVE. There are many who WILL NEVER get a vaccination. Because they don’t want to. So is it really the right time to let our guard down, throw caution to the wind and go to a ball game? Even with adherence policies in place?

I guess the only way to find out is to do it.

And hope for the best. Because if the best doesn’t happen, lack of vaccination appointments will become the least of Massachusetts’ problems.

Yes, paying off $50,000 in student debt loans is a nice dream to have.

But do they realize just HOW MANY student debt loans this would mean?

Do they realize just HOW MANY colleges and universities this would cause financial damage to?

And what about the students attending college for the first time THIS year? And NEXT year? And THE YEAR AFTER THAT? Will their student debt be paid off too?

Yes, it’s a nice dream. But let’s be realistic.

Because what is good for one group of students should be good for ALL groups of students.

I can understand why Massachusetts has gotten an “F” rating on their vaccine rollout.

Between the lack of vaccination sites, the inability to be able to find an appointment, confusion, lack of computer-friendly sites and easier ways for the elderly to book an appointment, the rating is what the state deserves. We can also add the fact that the phases are fucked up.

Yes, I agree that healthcare workers, first responders, etc. should’ve been in the first phase. From what I understand, some in this phase are still in the process of getting their vaccinations. What I don’t agree with is putting the 75+ crowd ahead of teachers. For one thing, there are more of the 75+ crowd than there are teachers. In fact, they are part of the largest population. So it’s going to take a while to vaccinate them all. The 75+ crowd, although vulnerable, are not as vulnerable as teachers who place themselves in schools every day with students and other staff.

I can’t speak for the 75+ crowd, but considering the handful of people in this age span that I do know, they don’t go anywhere. Unlike teachers who, for schools that are teaching in-person in some fashion, physically go to school every day. And are in contact with many people every day. That’s why we keep having so many COVID-19 cases every week. At least in my school district.

Wouldn’t it have made sense to get the teachers vaccinated first, before the 75+ crowd?

The big talk today, as it has been for years, is how many want the federal minimum wage raised from $7.25 to $15.00 an hour.

Yes, a raise in the federal minimum wage is long past due. It’s been over a decade. And many are struggling. But if the minimum wage jumps from $7.25 to $15.00, the money has to come from somewhere. And changes will happen.

As I’ve seen in my own state of Massachusetts, where the minimum wage has gradually increased and will eventually reach $15.00 in 2023, we have seen increases in restaurant food prices, as well as decreases in working hours every year since the gradual increase began. Which was quite obviously going to happen. And we haven’t even reached $15.00 yet. But because every year the minimum wage is going to increase, so is everything else. It’s a cycle.

I use the experience of an acquaintance of mine who works for a supermarket as an example. She told me with the increase, all employees at the store saw a decrease in their hours, which nobody is happy about. Yes, they may be making $13.50 an hour now but for many, like the woman who works there and normally gets 20 hours a week, she is now only working 16 hours and has lost her health insurance because of it.

So yes, on one hand $15.00 an hour would be great. But how many would actually be getting ahead?

There’s a vaccine.

But the majority of us can’t get it yet. Because it’s not our turn.

From all I’ve been reading, my turn should start in February, as I’m in the same category as the majority of the population. In fact, more people will be qualified for the vaccine in Phase 2 (for Massachusetts) than any other phase. So come April, we still won’t be done vaccinating Phase 2. Because remember, we need two doses. I know people who had their first dose three weeks ago but weren’t able to get an appointment for their second dose until after Valentine’s day. So that’s cutting into Phase 2.

So today the first people in Phase 2, those over age 75, could start signing up. But the websites weren’t working. Or they were and there were no appointments available. Because there are only so many locations and many of them are only open a few days a week. How many people do you expect to be able to vaccinate at two, maybe three days a week? In my general area, the most days I saw any location open was five. And for how many hours? And if you make an appointment and there’s a snowstorm that day? Then what? Because that happens in February in Massachusetts.

If you want to vaccinate 50 million people within 100 days nationwide, you have to have more than twenty locations statewide and you have to be open more than five days a week. Now I understand that retail locations such as CVS, Walgreens and Big Y are to be doing vaccinations. But I have yet to see any information about them doing them in Massachusetts. Maybe soon. Who knows?

Another thing nobody (or maybe nobody) has taken into consideration are the group of people turning 16 this year who will be qualified for a vaccination. I have one turning 16 in September. Will there be a vaccination for her? What about the children turning 16 in 2022? 2023? 2024? Will there be vaccinations for them? Because if someone is missed, there’s going to still be a problem. Also, we still don’t know if we’re going to need to be vaccinated every single year.

I guess time will tell. But who knows if we’ll be ready.