By: Mason Erger
With the news from President Wintersteen that ISU students will be receiving Covid vaccines, I thought it might be appropriate for me to share my personal experience with one of the vaccines on the market today. As of March 30th, I have received my first dose of the Moderna Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. I was initially surprised with how quickly I received it, as I had only placed myself on the waiting list a week prior. When I received the news, I hurried home to my local hospital where the vaccine was being administered and, after a brief kerfuffle with administration from a scheduling error, was promptly put in line to receive my first dose.
The first thing I remember happening was a nurse hurriedly handing me a clipboard with datasheets, a pamphlet about side effects, and a consent form that I had to sign acknowledging my understanding that the vaccine was not yet FDA certified (none currently are, they have merely been authorized for emergency use). From there the process was fairly simple, I was led to a deeper part of the hospital past a series of rooms with other people receiving their doses before finally landing in a room at the end of the hallway where I was given a quick poke and sent on my way out the door. This was not the end of my journey though. In order to keep an eye out for side effects, I was required to stay in the hospital for 20 minutes after the vaccine was administered. I made small talk with other patients waiting to be sent on their way, and after the wait was over, I walked out with a card showing that I was vaccinated with my first dose.
In addition to the obligatory vaccine card, I should bring up those forms I mentioned earlier. The pamphlet contained information on how to sign up for a check in system through the CDC to help report side effects that had a later onset. I myself experienced no side effects so I never had to report any, but the check in is structured much like the Cyclones Care texts we all know and love. I personally found the process to be very professional, and well managed. I’m excited to see the world go back to normal again, and with these vaccines on the table it’s a very real possibility that normal is closer than we think! So, to end off the year, I think we can all agree on the best way to celebrate:
Take a shot ISU, or two if you’re in the Pfizer or Moderna gang.
