Over half of the 1241 of DePauw students registered as residents and commuters have reported receiving a COVID-19 vaccine as of April 5, according to Julia M. Proctor, chair of the COVID-19 Taskforce.
Proctor reports that more than 1850 individuals received their dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine during DePauw’s mass vaccination clinic at Lily Center on Friday, April 2.
Following DePauw’s vaccination clinic, The DePauw posted an Instagram poll asking how many students who received the vaccine that day experienced symptoms. Of the nearly 100 student responses, over 80% reported experiencing side effects from the Johnson & Johnson dose.
“The side effects were rough, but think it was worth it, ”senior Nick Baxter said. “I felt a sense of relief when I finally got the vaccine. I’ve gotten back a sense of social freedom.” Baxter is one of the many students who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Friday.
Students reported a range of symptoms, with many students experiencing chills, nausea, muscle aches, headaches and fatigue. Of the students who responded to the Instagram poll, 60% of them ran a fever.
“My side effects were awful [but] I’d totally take a night of discomfort if it means ensuring the safety of myself and others,” sophomore Kaitlynn Franks said. “Anything to get things back to normal.” DePauw’s April 5 Vaccination Clinic was the first opportunity Franks had to receive the COVID-19 shot.
As DePauw plans for a second mass vaccination clinic in the near future according to the COVID-19 DeBrief sent to students via email, the COVID-19 cases at the university remain controlled. Asymptomatic testing over the past two weeks have yielded a 0% positivity rate, and there have been 0 reported COVID-19 cases since the week of 3/19, according to data on the COVID-19 dashboard.