While the world went to a shutdown due to COVID-19, scientists were busy trying to find a vaccine—and there’s multiple—but not widely available to everyone.
However, some Bradley students have been vaccinated as they place in the earliest categories of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s recommended distribution guidelines. Healthcare workers and the elderly in residential homes have been prioritized to receive the vaccine.
“Once I heard that there was an opportunity for vaccines to come out, I got really excited,” sophomore nursing major Mackenzie Hardin said. “I have an auto-immune disorder, so I’ve been worried about COVID ever since it started.”
Hardin and others doing clinicals have been given a chance to receive the Moderna vaccine. Clinicals are required for nursing students, which means they are exposed to the public in order to gain hands-on experience with patients.
While these students had a chance to get the vaccination, it’s only optional but highly encouraged. Fellow sophomore nursing major Kayla Lauer was among those who decided to get the vaccine.
“I’ve been hearing that this vaccine could help potentially stop this pandemic once we have enough people vaccinated,” Lauer said. “[It’s] important to take opportunities like [this] and be a model to people in the community to want to get the vaccine.”
On social media, people have voiced their concerns that the vaccines have been rushed and that their side effects are unknown, which led to the CDC’s webpage addressing the public’s concern.
On it, the CDC listed that the vaccine can come with some side effects such as pain or swelling at the injection site, headaches, chills and fever, but also noted that those are expected, while more rare side effects could include anaphylaxis or a severe allergic reaction.
Lauer said that the time it took to develop the vaccine would have concerned her if there had not been half of the trials and observations conducted for it.
“It is so important for us to be able to get over the hurdle of getting the numbers down in the U.S., especially in Illinois [where cases] are so high,” Hardin said. “I think it’s so important for everyone to get the vaccine.”
According to the Peoria City/County Health Department, the county has seen over 15,000 confirmed cases with 237 deaths. They also reported 21 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours as of Feb. 2, 2020.
Laurer is also aware of public concerns, but weighed the options. While vaccines have side effects, she sees it as a better alternative than contracting COVID-19.
The CDC has yet to determine when the general public will be allowed to receive a vaccination.
Students were sent an email about the university on Jan. 12 regarding the vaccine.
“We are also closely following the discussions around requiring the vaccine,” the email said. “At this time, we aren’t prepared to announce whether a COVID-19 vaccine will be among the vaccines we require on campus.”
No further information has been provided since publication.
