Scientists have been working endlessly since the beginning of the pandemic to develop a safe and efficient vaccine to stop the spread of COVID-19. The PfizerBioNTech vaccine has emerged on top, as it has been through a series of clinical trials where the majority of people experienced only mild symptoms. The CDC has been proactive in updating the community on the safety of the vaccine.
The Moderna vaccine was also created to stop the spread of COVID-19. Moderna requires two shots that are 28 days apart. This vaccine is 94.1% effective according to scientists. The efficacy was slightly lower in people who are 65-years-old and older.
The possible side effects of the vaccine include fever, chills, tiredness and headache. These effects are more likely to occur after the second dose of the vaccine. The laboratory ensured the vaccine is 95% effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19 in people who have not previously tested positive.
The vaccine consists of two shots in the upper arm that are 21 days apart. Currently, healthcare personnel, long-term care facility residents, essential workers on the frontlines, educational workers and people above 75-years-old are able to receive the vaccine. The next phase will include people between the ages of 65 and 74, 16 to 64-year-olds with underlying medical conditions and then all other groups.
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine are safe. It depends on someone’s location for which type of vaccine they will receive. The Pfizer vaccine must be stored in cold temperatures, so it will be easier for smaller rural facilitates to distribute the Moderna vaccine. Doctors do not have a preference on which vaccine to use. The use of each vaccine is dependent on what is available in a specific medical facility.
DU students may be wondering how the vaccine will impact their lives. Healthy college students will not be able to receive the vaccine until April or later, according to Dr. Fauci. This is likely to be delayed due to the vaccine shortages and rollout plans that are specific to each state. Colorado is one of the states experiencing these vaccine shortages, but this number changes by the week. Colorado was able to vaccinate 200,000 people with the first dose, but the number of people getting vaccinated each day has decreased. Governor Jared Polis was disappointed by the federal government shipping the Pfizer supplies late.
The question comes down to this: Will college students voluntarily receive the vaccine? It is projected that less than half of college-aged adults will opt out of getting it.
The Biden Administration has made it a priority to vaccinate teachers and students in order to safely reopen schools. The vaccine will be available for college students when it is more widely distributed. Universities are likely to continue online learning to maintain social distancing guidelines as the vaccine slowly gets administered.
Colleges around the world were the epicenter of many COVID-19 outbreaks, so universities today are studying the legality of making a COVID-19 vaccine mandatory. It will be strongly encouraged for every student to get it since colleges are considered a hot spot.
DU has created a group that discusses how students will receive the vaccine and how it will be redistributed. This group works with Colorado public health officials to make recommendations to the chancellor and provost surrounding the dissemination of this immunization.
The university has an in-depth analysis of lessons learned from fall quarter, testing in winter quarter, quarantining requirements and planning for the COVID-19 vaccine. DU wants to understand the community’s perspective on the treatment, as this will help in developing a successful plan for distribution.
DU’s partnership with National Jewish Health has helped minimize the spread of COVID-19 by increasing testing and running trials on the new spit tests, which may encourage more people in the community to get tested.
