By Delaney Smith
Staff Writer
In spite of the cold, rainy weather, students lined up in the Education Building on Feb. 3 to voluntarily receive their booster shots as part of an ongoing series of Moderna booster clinics.
By 10 a.m. that day, the clinic had reportedly seen about 75 students show up for their boosters. Holly Heller, the nurse practitioner overseeing the event, said they expected to see 150 students by noon.
“I think it’s the best way to reduce the risk of infection, reduce the risk of severe disease from Covid, and it also keeps our campus community safe,” she said about getting boosted.
The College does not currently require a Covid-19 booster shot, but has strongly encouraged it in a statement released on Jan. 25. The students present at the Moderna booster clinic were there voluntarily in spite of the winter weather, and each expressed their own reasons for being there.
In spite of the rainy weather, students arrived at the Education Building to get their booster shots (Delaney Smith / The Signal).
“I care more about the people around me than I care about myself,” Hayley Bove, a sophomore psychology major, said. “I just want to keep everyone that I love safe.”
Seth Marcelo, a senior nursing major, said he got the booster because he wanted to protect himself and the future patients he’ll have, along with his friends, family and the community.
“I meant to get my booster a few months ago, but a few days before my appointment, I ended up getting Covid,” he said. “I couldn’t get my booster until 30 days after the initial diagnosis. The 13th day passed recently and I just got my booster today.”
Moderna booster shots greatly increased antibody levels in lab trials, which offer protection against Covid-19 and most of its variants. Those who are boosted are less likely to experience Covid-19 symptoms, especially those severe enough to hospitalize or kill someone, according to CNBC. In spite of this, booster numbers in the United States are low — only about 40% of people eligible for the booster have gotten their third shot, according to NPR.
Eligible students who want their booster shot can go to the next Moderna booster clinic at the Brower Student Center on Friday, March 4 or on Friday, April 8. The booster is free with valid insurance.
