Albany county residents and students have begun receiving vaccines with the start of the Wyoming Department of Health Phase 1a and 1b vaccination program. This vaccination program prioritizes people who have regular exposure to people or materials with COVID-19.
“I am very excited and relieved to get the vaccine,” said student Allison Dodds. “It shows that this pandemic is slowly coming to a close, which is something that I know many people have been waiting for.”
Dodds works as a volunteer at the Ivinson Hospital taking temperatures at the entrance. She received the Moderna vaccine this past week.
“I got an email today around noon and time slots were available the same day so I tried to get in as soon as possible. Vaccinations for volunteers are continuing into next week as well. I just received the shot so I have not yet developed side effects,” said Dodds.
Seth Mcgee, an employee at the Ivinson Hospital in the billing department, also received the vaccine.
“We got a shipment of vaccines right around Christmas time. I don’t know how many people exactly got vaccinated but there’s quite a few people who were vaccinated. It was optional,” said Mcgee. “The first responders and anyone involved in patient interaction took priority in getting the vaccine.”
Mcgee reported minimal side effects.
“At least for me it was a pretty normal shot situation. The arm was a little bit sore for a day, like the flu shot,” said Mcgee.
Mcgee doesn’t know anyone with adverse side effects besides having a sore arm.
Mcgee will receive his second shot in February.
“Even after I get the second shot I am still going to do what I should be doing. I am not gathering anywhere and going to see other people or places because I know other people are not in the same boat as I am,” said Mcgee.
Mcgee said they still have to wear masks at the hospital, despite being vaccinated.
Microbiology and molecular biology student, Kit Ng, also received a COVID vaccine due to the university considering him a frontline responder.
“I work as a COVID test sampling attendant at the university under the College of Health Sciences. We help administer the COVID tests: the vault and the shield tests. We don’t take the samples ourselves, but we look at the samples,” said Ng.
He got the Moderna vaccine, but has not yet received the second shot.
“It’s a mRNA vaccine with some markers. Your immune system will recognize those markers and get the immune system going. In the meantime, translation occurs and the mRNA is translated by protein that gets detected by antigen presenting cells. When you have muscle pain, you are presenting antigens to t-cells and that’s activating your immune response,” said Ng.
Ng received the vaccine at the Mountain View Medical Center on Harney, which was recently purchased by the university. He said he only had muscle pain after being vaccinated.
“I am a little relieved, sort of excited, but pretty much the same. We have a job to do. At least there’s something you don’t need to be as worried about anymore,” said Ng.
