ISU Nursing Student Receives Vaccine

Photo courtesy to OSF Healthcare

NORMAL, Ill.- The COVID-19 vaccine has finally arrived, although only healthcare workers have access at this time. Healthcare workers have started to receive their first doses of the vaccine, however some in the public are skeptical of the vaccine and possible long term effects.

Libby Allison is the Media Relations Coordinator for OSF Healthcare.

OSF oversee 17 hospitals, including the ones in and around McLean County.

Allison assures that the vaccine was in fact not rushed and has been FDA approved.

“When you say fast tracked or with the the FDA/EUA it doesn’t mean cutting corners or skipping over clinical trials, or the study and review of results,” said Allison.

But long term effects aren’t the only concerns that skeptics have. Many seem to be worried about short term illness following the vaccination.

Morgan Zacharias is an Accelerated Nursing student at Illinois State University.

Zacharias is one of many who have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Zacharias says she received the vaccine because she wants to improve her community.

“I believe that I joined this profession to help guide individuals around into making the community better, and I believe this is the first step to getting society to what it once was,” said Zacharias. 

Zacharias says she had no side effects, with the exception of soreness around the injection site.

“I had no headache, no nausea, no fatigue. Some reported body aches, but I had none of that,” said Zacharias. 

Despite this vaccine being so new healthcare workers, like Zacharias, say that this vaccine is the first baby step to getting back to normal.