Students share thoughts on COVID-19 vaccinations

Sophomore Dee Dee Benton said she looks forward to getting the Moderna vaccine so she and the people she surrounds herself with stay safe. Although the most recent and effective vaccination has not been released to the public quite yet, Benton plans on getting the first injection once it is available to the people of Iowa. She said that she overall trusts the ingredients and effectiveness of the vaccine due to how long it took to produce Moderna. “Obviously vaccinations are not going to be produced immediately, but I would say it’s more of a good thing it took this late into the year to get a vaccine. Since it took more time, you can tell it’s more thorough than if it was rushed,” Benton said. 

Even though the vaccine will cause a decrease in the number of cases around the world, Benton said she doesn’t think the vaccine will eliminate COVID. “There are still people that are not going to get the vaccine, so COVID will not just disappear,” she said. Benton additionally said she believes that there will be mixed results to society’s reaction to the vaccine being released to the public. 

Once the vaccine is issued to the public, cases will drop rapidly, but what about the small percentage of citizens who refuse to take the vaccine? Benton said she predicts there will be a spike of cases in the future after the vaccine is released. “I doubt that Kim Reynolds is going to shut down the city again, so I don’t think there will be another lockdown in the future,” she said. 

Sophomore Maggie McCullough also plans on receiving the vaccination in the future. “I think the vaccine is a good thing; it shows great development in American medicine, and I’m glad there’s finally something that can potentially prevent the virus,” she said. 

McCullough’s grandparents received the first round of the vaccination, due to being older than 65. The elderly couple have not yet taken the second shot, so they still intend to wear masks in public. “Regardless if the vaccine impacts the number COVID cases, masks should still be worn. That’s not even a question,” McCullough said. 

Both McCullough and Benton encourage the public to get the vaccination shots. McCullough said, “It’s not a political issue, it’s a health issue, and it’s an issue concerning people’s lives. Please go out and get the vaccine.”