By Daniela Tovar-Miranda
Starting Monday, Illinois moves into stage 1B of administering the vaccine, this includes those 65 and older or essential workers will be eligible for the Covid Vaccine; however, there is still skepticism on the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine.
Many Dominican University students are between the ages of 18 to 23, meaning that they are not eligible for the vaccine, but if presented with the opportunity, students should take that chance.
In order for the vaccine to be effective in a population, herd immunity needs to be formed. This is formed when a large portion of a population becomes immune to a disease. When it comes to creating herd immunity towards Covid, there has to be enough people taking the vaccine in order to slow the spread of it.
Kavita R. Dhanwada, founding Dean and Professor of the Borra College of Health Sciences, acknowledged people can be skeptical of the vaccine. The trials were fast, and we do not know everything about the vaccine. One thing that is unknown is how long will the vaccine be effective.
The vaccine could be like a flu shot, needing to be taken yearly, or like a tetanus shot which is taken every 10 years, “I would rather have that short term protection and generate herd immunity in a population than wait until we know everything about it because there is such a high probability of spread and the possibility of getting infected”.
Professor Dhanwada concluded, “If a student is able to take the vaccine, I encourage students to be able to get the vaccine. Our students are generally younger students, and so it may be longer, but if you have the opportunity, make sure you do get it”
Junior Janet Perez, who is on a pre-med track got covid in November and recently got the first dose of the Moderna vaccine. At first she was skeptical of the vaccine, questioning how a vaccine created so soon could be safe for people.
The hospital where she works offered the vaccine to her and other healthcare workers, and after several of her family members caught covid and the hospital she worked at offered the vaccine she decided to take the vaccine.
“I’m just going to be part of the solution and not go against it because I feel like at some point we are all going to have to have the vaccine, especially if you work in healthcare” says Perez.
dtovarmiranda@my.dom.edu
