By Devin Rank

There was a mad rush to secure COVID-19 vaccine appointments when the University of Maryland Health Center announced limited slots on April 8.

Now, students who received vaccines on campus at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center are preparing for their second doses. The second round of health center vaccines will take place for some students from April 29 to 30 and again from May 6 to 7.

Sophomore psychology major Margot Rizzi got the vaccine so that all of her family could be in the same room again. Rizzi said she is close with many of her extended family members, making it a major priority for her and her family to get vaccinated. 

UMD made the vaccination process simple, Rizzi said. The psychology major said it was easy to get her appointment and that the woman who administered her vaccine was friendly and explained the process clearly. Even though Rizzi had only good things to say about the experience, she shared her qualms about the vaccine itself. 

“I was a little bit nervous because of some of the side effects that I know people have experienced, but otherwise I wasn’t nervous at all,” she said. 

The only symptom Rizzi experienced after the vaccine was feeling a little more tired than usual, but she was filled with excitement to have received her first dose of the vaccine, she said. 

Rizzi is scheduled to get her second dose on May 6, she said, and she encourages others to get the vaccine because of how easy and organized the process was. 

Adam Mirsky, a sophomore finance major, received his first dose of the vaccine on April 16. Mirsky said he wanted to do more things in public and speed up the process of returning to normal life. 

Mirsky said he was pleased with the university’s vaccine procedures. 

“The experience of getting the vaccine at UMD was pretty seamless. I thought it operated pretty smoothly. No complaints there. I was able to really quickly go through everything, get the shot and get out,” Mirsky said. 

Mirsky felt no side effects after receiving the vaccine and is ready for his second dose on May 6. Mirsky encouraged people to get the vaccine and said he thinks it’s fair to issue a vaccine mandate, especially since there are immunocompromised people. 

Nene Narh-Mensah, a sophomore journalism and public policy double major, will get his second dose of the vaccine on May 7. Narh-Mensah said he decided to get his vaccine to keep himself and others safe, he said. 

Even though Narh-Mensah was nervous about the aftereffects of the vaccine, that did not stop him from making his appointment and getting his first dose. He encouraged others to get the vaccine if they can. 

“I feel good. I’m doing my part to stop the spread,” Narh-Mensah said.

Featured image: Riggs Alumni Center can host weddings. Now it is the home of UMD’s vaccine clinic. Photo by Devin Rank.