Michigan State University students begin to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster, whether for health reasons or work rules.
According to CDC guidelines, people 18 and older who received Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine are eligible for the booster if it has been at least two months since receiving the vaccine.
People 18 and older who received Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines are eligible if they have underlying medical conditions or work in high-risk settings and if it has been at least six months since the second shot.
Mechanical engineering sophomore Aditya Varma received the booster at the Walgreens on Grand River Avenue. Varma is an undergraduate learning assistant with a health condition that made him one of the first eligible for the booster.
“I just wanted to ensure that since I interact with so many students, they stay safe, and so do I,” Varma said.
Varma said the scheduling process was “not at all difficult.” He went on the Walgreens website and scheduled an appointment for the same day.
Varma had side effects of a fever the night of, lethargy the following day and shooting arm pain for three days.
“I feel like it’s [getting the booster] a moral responsibility, and we must all play our part in it,” Varma said.
Journalism freshman Sabrina Seldon also received the booster. Seldon has hypertension and a kidney disease, qualifying her for the booster.
Seldon said she was hesitant to receive the booster because she was getting her flu shot the same day.
“The idea of shots has always given me anxiety, especially two in the same arm. Luckily, the shots were quick and painless,” Seldon said.
The Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard indicates that 1,257 people between the ages of 20 and 29 in Ingham County have received the booster or an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Ph.D. student Hazel Anderson runs the MSU Covid Campus Coalition account on Instagram, “a student-led effort providing college students across the U.S. with accurate, timely information about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines.”
“MSU students consider this to be another tool they have at their disposal to minimize the risk of contracting and spreading the disease,” Anderson said.Â
WHERE CAN YOU RECEIVE THE BOOSTER?