Simpson College partnered with Hy-Vee Pharmacy to offer students, faculty and staff the Pfizer COVID vaccine booster and initial vaccine. 

The CDC recommends a booster shot for all three available COVID vaccines in the United States. Those who are 65 years and older, anyone 18 and older living in long-term care settings and those who have underlying conditions or work in high-risk settings could be eligible for a booster shot. Those who are six months out or more after their initial series of either Moderna or Pfizer vaccines are eligible for a booster shot. Anyone who had the Johnson & Johnson shot at least two months ago is eligible for a booster as well. 

The clinic was held on Nov. 3 in the Black Box. Students were sent an email with a signup link for the clinic from health services on Oct. 27. There were 200 slots available for the clinic and 114 slots were filled.

Abby Fry, a first-year, got her booster shot at the clinic and was thankful for the opportunity.

“I think that Simpson providing the booster through Hy-Vee is a great idea, especially for first-years and sophomores who are living communally,” Fry said. “It is a lot more convenient to do it here than trying to figure it out ourselves.”

Sophomore Riley Ericson was one of many to receive a booster shot.

“I got it to better protect my family when I am at home,” Ericson said. “The recovery on it was not bad at all. I didn’t feel sick, just a sore arm for a day or so.”

Booster shots provide additional protection against COVID-19 and help strengthen protection against severe disease in populations at risk for exposure to COVID-19.

First-year student Anaka Wamstad-Evans received her booster shot at the Wednesday clinic and encourages others to do the same.

“I think others should consider getting the booster right now since our mask mandate has sort of ended just to protect others in our community before Thanksgiving so that we don’t spread diseases to our family members,” Wamstad-Evans said.

The CDC continues to encourage everyone to get vaccinated as all three of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines in the United States are highly effective in reducing severe disease, hospitalization and death. However, more than 65 million Americans remain unvaccinated.

As of Nov. 9, 79% of Simpson’s Indianola campus students are fully vaccinated and 85% of Indianola campus employees are fully vaccinated.