2021 Gumbo final - Book - Page 51
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ccording to LSU’s COVID-19 Reporting Dashboard
last updated April 9, 5,810 students and 3,257
professors have reported that they have received
their COVID-19 vaccine. There were 32 total active cases of
COVID-19 on campus as of April 9, according to the website.
In March, the University partnered with the state to begin
providing COVID-19 vaccines to the LSU community.
On January 19, LSU Division of Strategic Communications
sent out an email stating that the University had been
“working closely with the Louisiana Department of Health
(LDH) and other state agencies to procure COVID-19 vaccines
for the LSU community.” Students, faculty and staff were
asked to complete a pre-registration survey if they were
interested in getting the vaccine.
Two vaccines have been approved in the U.S. Two doses
of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are required, 21 and 28
days apart, respectively.
Sociology junior Myles Jones said around the time of the
email a lot of students were very reluctant to get the vaccine
as they were “scared of the outcome.”
“My friends and I didn’t want to just sign up for something
we had no hard facts about,” Jones said.
Graphic design junior Kyron Wilson said that when he first
saw the email, his first thoughts were that he did not want to
get the vaccine because he didn’t know the side effects of it.
Another email sent out on March 11 by LSU’s Division of
Strategic Communications said the University was partnering
with the State of Louisiana to set up a “community-wide
mass vaccination site” on campus. The state brought about
800 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the email
stated.
“After seeing so many students my age get the vaccine, I
was no longer hesitant to get it,” Wilson said.
He said after the last few emails he received from the
University, he decided to register to get the vaccine. Wilson
received his first dose of the Moderna vaccine on April 1 at
Tiger Stadium with the National Guard.
“I was skeptical at first because of how fast the vaccine
was made, but seeing that a lot of students are doing okay,
I was more open to it,” Kinesiology junior Nylah Lowe said.
“Now, I just want to be able to freely enjoy myself while
feeling and knowing that I am safe.”
Lowe also received her vaccine on April 1 and said she
decided to get the vaccine because she just wanted to be
able to go out and feel safe.
“If my friends are okay, I know I’ll be okay. We’ve dealt
with COVID for long enough,” she said. “It’s summer and we
all just want to have a good time while knowing that we are
safe.”
Since Jan. 11, there have been 661 active cases at LSU and
9,800 total tests, according to the website.
stadium shots