Why Sun Devils are getting vaccinated

COVID-19 vaccinations have been available for about a year, and many Arizona State University students are doing their part to keep the community healthy by getting vaccinated and following ASU’s Community of Care health protocols.

Now some Sun Devils are speaking out to encourage others to get vaccinated to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

Sun Devil Health Advocates is a student organization formed last fall focused on empowering all Sun Devils to take care of themselves and each other through a peer-to-peer outreach campaign. Student leaders from across the university are joining the organization in  championing the Devils, You Can Do Something campaign to help raise awareness about the benefits of getting vaccinated and boosted  and shining a bright light on the steps everyone can take to help keep the Sun Devil community safe. 

Annika Tourlas, a second-year student studying journalism and mass communication with a double minor in communications and digital audiences, received the Pfizer vaccine and said she knows how important getting vaccinated is in protecting ourselves and those around us. After the first dose, Tourlas felt a bit sore around the spot of injection, and after the second shot, she felt flu-like symptoms but was ready to get back to school and work after 24 hours. 

Tourlas said that the biggest thing we must remind people of is that the COVID precautions we take are so important because they protect our loved ones who are at high risk for experiencing severe illness. 

“We wear masks, social distance and follow all other guidelines to protect ourselves but most importantly to protect the ones we don’t want to lose,” she said.

Patrick Fortuna, a filmmaking major in his third year at ASU, also emphasized how important it is to get vaccinated to keep those around us safe.

“I think it’s incredibly important for ASU students to get vaccinated because getting vaccinated isn’t about you,” he said. “It’s about those around you and doing your part to end the pandemic. This is something that not one person enjoys living through, and the fact that so many people are spreading misinformation that’s preventing people from getting vaccinated is absurd.”

Madeleine Williamson, a second-year student studying journalism and mass communication with a minor in marketing, received her second dose of the vaccine on the ASU Tempe campus last summer. 

Williamson says her experience getting the shot was very easy and seamless. 

“I’d say the entire process took about 30 minutes just because after you get the shot you’re supposed to sit and wait for 15 minutes to make sure you don’t have any negative reactions before you leave. The workers were very personable too. I could tell a lot of them were student volunteers,” she said.

Williamson said she was excited after getting vaccinated to be able to enjoy the parts of life she’d been missing out on because of the pandemic. 

“Once more people start getting vaccinated then maybe some things can start to return to normal as well. I love to see restaurants go back to full function, I missed movie theaters and it’s been great to see organizations hosting in-person events again,” she said.

ASU Health Services has COVID-19 vaccines, third doses and boosters available at each of its four campus locations, including the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Students can schedule a vaccination appointment and securely upload and store their vaccination record with ASU Health Services through the ASU point-and-click health portal.

Vaccinations are also widely available through local pharmacies, physicians' offices and the state or county.