Opinion: Back to school: With experience and vaccines, it can be back to normal

For a third year, schools are opening in the presence of covid. With experience, vaccines and mitigation — plus deeper knowledge of the coronavirus itself — it should be possible to give students a lot of in-person instruction this school year, but it is vital that the lessons of the pandemic be fully absorbed. Vaccines are the key to normalcy. They are widely available, free and highly effective at protecting against severe illness and hospitalization. Yet the uptake of vaccines among K-12 students is ridiculously low.