Milestone after milestone is being passed in the trajectory of the COVID-19 vaccine, but where exactly is BSM with all of this, and more specifically where are BSM students at with vaccinations?

Since around February, people with underlying health conditions have gotten access to the COVID-19 vaccines, and shortly after essential workers were given access. Most recently, all Minnesotans ages 16 and up have been given access to the COVID-19 vaccines. BSM students have taken advantage of these opportunities, especially since food service workers were given access as well as those ages 16 and up. 

Of 84 BSM students surveyed, 22 (26.2%) students have gotten at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Many of these BSM students took advantage of vaccine accessibility through their jobs as essential service workers. Nonetheless, scheduling and locating available vaccines has been nothing short of an obstacle course. Many students have scheduled online, through their jobs, or have been able to snag leftover doses on occasion. 

One BSM student in particular found a way around the difficulties through the help of their employer. “I didn’t have to find [an available vaccine]; people at my job scheduled the days for all our staff and residents to get vaccinated, so I just had to fill out a form and show up,” senior Michelle Doering said. 

Doering’s situation is a bit uncommon compared to most––she got her first dose in late January because of her title as an essential worker at an assisted living and senior apartment facility. Of BSM’s vaccinated students, most got their vaccines in the first week of April when the vaccine opened up to ages 16 and up, and they drove a range of distances from five minutes to five hours. “I drove 5 hours in total to Duluth,” junior Daniel Bruer said. 

Covid fatigue coupled with challenging vaccination measures led to Bruer taking pretty extreme measures––spending five hours in the car. “I am ready to be done with worrying about getting COVID and anything I can do in order to achieve that is worth it. Also, the drive was fairly enjoyable since I could zoom into school and not miss the first day of the quarter,” junior Daniel Bruer said. 

For Bruer, like many other students, a large amount of time has spent sitting in front of a computer screen searching far and wide for available vaccines. “It was a lot of sitting at the computer and refreshing until we finally got one that worked,” Bruer said. 

One of the less popular methods actually proved to be very successful for one BSM student: excess dosage. “My dad works at a pharmaceutical company and he’s considered an essential worker so he was able to book an appointment. The day he went, the workers told him that they’d been having extra vaccines and that he should invite his family to come near closing to see if there are extras. We went the same day [April 6] and lucked out,” senior Joana Dominguez-Lopez said. 

Research has proven that younger people with stronger immune systems have been getting hit harder by the side effects of the vaccine, especially after the second dose. Both Doering and Dominguez-Lopez had a bit of a sore arm and felt a little more lethargic than normal after the first dose, but after the second dose the effects were a little more prominent. “The day after my second vaccine was brutal, and I couldn’t get out of bed,” Dominguez-Lopez said. 

Getting the vaccine has been an added level of comfort and security for some, if not all, BSM students, as Minnesota starts to open up, especially within schools and sports. “I feel more comfortable, especially playing sports. I’m glad I got it before the softball season started because I don’t have to worry about getting sick and missing games,” Doering said.