By: Angela Dimaano, Features Editor

Starting on April 15th, 2021, all California residents aged 16 and older became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Around 25% of California’s population is fully vaccinated (Google News Statistics) and that statistic is only expected to rise with the recent eligibility broadening. As vaccines have been rolling out for a couple weeks now, Mills students that were eligible under previous phases are able to share their experiences with the before, during, and after processes of receiving the vaccine.

Much like the general population, Mills students had to create appointments whether through state distribution sites or pharmaceutical locations such as Walgreens. The process of creating an appointment can be done online through websites such as myturn.ca.gov or calling a designated phone number generally found on distribution site websites. There are currently three major vaccines that the public can receive: Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson. The exception to these three is Johnson and Johnson, whose administration has been put on hold, at the time of writing, due to blood clotting in some recipients. 

At the moment, Pfizer is the only vaccination that is cleared to be administered to those under 18, logically making up the majority of vaccination types among Mills Students. As stated prior, before April 15th, the public needed a valid reason as to why they were cleared to receive the vaccine. Students that were interviewed cited a variety of clearances for receiving the vaccine, with the most prevalent reason being in food services, followed by education services. For the most part, students began receiving their first dose throughout March, followed by a second dose sometime in April. After receiving the first dose, students reported a variety of responses to the vaccine. Wesley Tam (12) reported soreness in his arm, while Max Kerns (11) felt soreness along with a headache. However, lucky students such as Benedict Abadilla (12) had no mild or severe side effects. The second dose is infamous for its milder to more severe side effects such as flu-like symptoms (cough, chills, runny nose). Victoria Lin (11) stated that she had a mild headache with back pains, while Garvin Ye (12) felt feverish the night/day after receiving the second dosage. 

Vaccine aftercare plays a crucial part in mitigating various side effects from receiving the shot. Henry Garrett (11) recommends, “staying hydrated before and after [the shot]” and cited Gatorade as a good source for maintaining that hydration. Sophia Baltasar (12) emphasized the importance of  “moving around your arm by either exercising or some other activity that gets your arm moving like cleaning your room!” The CDC’s official guidance on vaccines after care includes drinking plenty of fluids, wearing loose fitting clothing (to not constrain your arm), applying a cool compress/washcloth to the shot area, and most importantly, moving your arm around. 

Vaccine appointments are constantly filling up as they are released so make sure to try your hand at scheduling an appointment. Calling and checking websites throughout the day can allow you to find new vaccine appointments that may have opened up. Now that a wider range of the population is eligible to receive the vaccine, get out there and schedule your own appointment today!