More Than 200 Receive COVID-19 Vaccine at UNO Clinic

More than 200 people rolled up their sleeves and received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at UNO’s first on-campus vaccination clinic, which was held Friday, April 30.

The clinic was hosted by UNO’s Office of Health Security in partnership with the Douglas County Health Department and was open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community.

The last few weeks of the semester are always busy, but Jane Meza, Ph.D., interim executive director of UNO’s Office of Health Security, said that the clinic being on campus actually helped encourage Mavericks and community members alike to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We wanted to have this clinic so that we could make vaccines easily accessible to our UNO community,” Meza said. “We’ve heard from people who were here today for class, to teach a class, or here for work and thought they would stop in and get a vaccine.”

Accessibility combined with a readiness to receive the vaccine led to a solid turnout. Shortly before 9 A.M., a short line began to form outside the Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom.

Reyna Olvera, a multidisciplinary studies student focusing on behavioral health and Latino studies, was one of the first people in line. She made a point to receive her first dose because she wants to help daily life return to normal – a normal that includes visiting family that she hasn’t seen in nearly two years and reinvigorating her love for traveling. Olvera encouraged more Mavericks to step up and receive their vaccine.

“It’s just good to get everybody safe and on the same page,” Olvera said. “I understand the hesitation because these are scary times, but having the world not get back to normal is pretty scary, too.”

A brief wait couldn’t keep students like Luke Wawrzynkiewicz, a freshman studying communication, from receiving their first dose.

“[The nurse] said she was the best at giving shots and apparently she was because it took like two seconds,” he said. “It was pretty easy and pretty simple.”

Like Olvera, Wawrzynkiewicz felt that receiving the first dose of the vaccine was important so he could once again visit family.

“[My grandma] was harping on us pretty hard to get the vaccine so we could hang around with her more, but I think it’s good for everyone to have it make the world better and safer.”

Reaching herd immunity with COVID-19 requires that many of us roll up our sleeves and receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As of the day of the clinic, the Douglas County Health Department reported 43.3 percent of Douglas County residents ages 16 and older had been fully vaccinated. The 200-plus who received their first dose at UNO are another step toward the county’s vaccination goals, but more are encouraged to join them.

UNO will host its second vaccination clinic on Friday, May 21, 2021 from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. in the Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom. Those who received their first dose are strongly encouraged to return for their second dose at that time; however, the clinic is open to any who needs either their first or second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Those receiving their first dose at the May 21 clinic will need to receive their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine three weeks later at any COVID-19 vaccination location in the community.