Nearly 1,200 students, faculty, staff and members of the community received their first Pfizer COVID vaccinations on April 21 at Marymount University, part of a collaborative effort between the university and state and local officials.
The university transformed one of its gyms into a mass-inoculation site, and turnout exceeded expectations.
“We are planning a full return to face-to-face learning for the upcoming fall 2021 semester, and hosting this clinic and boosting the vaccination rate across our university and beyond is a great step towards helping us accomplish that plan,” Marymount President Irma Becerra said.
The effort also received support from Safeway and the National Guard.
“It feels great and I feel happy – hopefully, this is the light at the end of the tunnel for this whole pandemic,” said Dylan Vallade, a Marymount sophomore and member of the track and field team.
“I wanted to receive the COVID-19 vaccine because I travel a lot, and when I travel back home I want to be safe,” said Marymount senior Ana Schneider Jerez, who hails from Spain. “And also around school, I hope everyone can get it and we can once again have social lives – you know, just be back together.”
The university will host a mass-vaccination clinic on May 12 so those who received their first shots can then receive their second. Safeway will provide second shots for those unable to make the May 12 event.
Read the original article on the Sun Gazette’s website.
