HARKER HEIGHTS, Texas — By now we all know what it is like to be stuck at home, and chances are you know exactly how Maddie Flinkinger feels. She spent the majority of the last year in her room.

“Watched YouTube and played video games with my friend,” Maddie said.

About four years ago, the 14-year-old moved from Hawaii to Texas. Each summer Maddie travels to Hawaii to visit family. 

Last year, that did not happen because of the pandemic. Maddie says it was pretty tough for her. 

“Because it felt more like two years, more than just one,” she said.

However, this summer she will travel. She will get to see her dad and even get to see her grandparents. When she learned kids ages 12 to 15 could officially be vaccinated against COVID-19, she jumped right in line.

Texas Department of State Health Services officials say vaccinating this age group will help end the pandemic faster and have a positive effect on schools.

"It was important for me to get vaccinated, so I wouldn't infect my elders more easily,” she explained. 

Dr. Amy Mersiovsky says Maddie has the right idea. Mersiovsky has worked as a pediatric nurse since 1998 and is the director and chairperson of the Department of Nursing at A&M-Central Texas. 

“If they're vaccinated, the vaccine is over 95 percent effective in decreasing the chance that someone's going to get sick of it [COVID-19],” Mersiovsky said. 

If you have concerns, Mersiovsky recommends you speak with your child’s health care provider.

"They know your child, and they know your family and they know your needs. They also know the statistics and the data related to the vaccines,” she said. 

Maddie's mom, Selena Conmackie, says allowing her child to get vaccinated gives her peace of mind.

"If we could get vaccinated, it meant a lot that she could be included in that. It didn't seem right that we would go out and feel safe but she wasn’t,” Conmackie explained.