ISU starts one of Iowa’s largest COVID-19 vaccine clinic
Iowa State University students rolled up their sleeves and were finally able to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
“It's really important for me because it's a really big step to get back to normal. It's been a while since I've been able to go to social gatherings with my friends,” ISU student Katelyn Hockemeyer said.
Iowa State had planned to give Johnson & Johnson vaccines so students could get one dose.
But that changed last week when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, also known as the Janssen vaccine, on hold.
The school switched gears and is now distributing the Pfizer vaccine to students, staff.
Leaders said the idea is to try to get as many vaccinated as they can before students head home at the end of the school year. Leaders said they want to have a fall campus that is similar to pre-pandemic life.
There have been some reports that younger people are less interested in getting the vaccine.
That does not seem to be the case at ISU.
"We haven’t seen a ton of hesitancy from our students," ISU Student Health Vice President Erin Baldwin said. "I think they're really excited to have the traditional ISU experience again and they know the vaccine is how we get to that point."
ISU leaders plan to ramp up the clinics to give more than 2,300 shots a day, but that depends on the vaccine supply.