By Christiana Corporon
With the COVID-19 vaccine beginning to be distributed to the elderly and high-risk groups, those who don’t fall in this category have been on the hunt for extra vaccines. Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines must be administered after being thawed in a freezer for a certain period of time, often leaving health care workers with an excess of doses to ensure they are put to use. We spoke with a few GW students who had experiences with leftover vaccines. Here are their stories.
Tricia Katsamakis, Junior
- Briefly introduce yourself! Name, age, year at GW
“Ticia Katsamakis, I’m 20, and a junior political communications student at GW.”
- When were you vaccinated and have you received both doses?
“I got my first vaccination on Jan. 30 and I just received my second vaccination on Feb. 28. I got the Moderna vaccine.”
- How did you come to find out there was an extra vaccine available for you?
“I had read an article about extra doses being given out at pharmacies and grocery stores in DC so I sent it to my parents. I have severe asthma so they have been really trying to find a way for me to get vaccinated and were really encouraging me to go wait at a store and see if I could get a dose, so one day I started asking around my friends to see if anyone wanted to come with me to wait at a grocery store.”
- Did you have any hesitations about getting the vaccine?
“My entire family is in the medical field and has taken this pandemic really seriously so I was not hesitant at all to get vaccinated, if anything I was super excited and eager. I have a deep trust in science and faith in our medical system that has kept me alive through so many health scares throughout my childhood.”
- Describe your experience getting vaccinated.
“I heard from a friend that a certain Safeway in D.C. was giving away a ton of extra doses on a daily basis after people skipped their appointments. I met up with a friend and we decided to go on a Saturday at their opening time of 8 a.m. and we got there and waited all day in the grocery store. At around 3 p.m., the pharmacist told us there were only three extra doses left that day, and an elderly man who was a veteran would have priority over us. Fortunately, my friend and I were first and second in line, but there were probably five or six people behind us. I filled out some paperwork and was able to get the vaccine after it was established that we were the ones who were first in line after the elderly man, I think it also helped that my friend and I had proof of our pre-existing conditions. It was super painless and I felt really glad that I was able to get the vaccine in an ethical way because those doses would have been thrown away otherwise.”
- Do you know anyone else who was vaccinated with an extra vaccine?
The only other person in my life who got the vaccine through an extra or leftover dose system was my friend that came with me to get it. I actually have a few friends who have tried to wait at grocery stores since they heard about my experience and each time they have been unable to get an extra dose.
- Anything else you want to add?
I think everyone should get vaccinated, especially here in D.C., I just wish that pharmacies had a better system for giving away extra doses like a waitlist or something because it was not fun at all to be waiting on the floor of a grocery store for eight hours.
Sophomore Sophia Young is another GW student who had a first-hand experience with an extra COVID-19 vaccine. While she ultimately did not end up being vaccinated, she shared her thrilling yet chaotic experience with the GWL.
- How did you initially find out there were extra vaccines available to you?
The Kaiser Medical Center typically distributes the vaccines at their Capitol Hill location, but because of the inauguration and the road closures, they had to give the vaccines in the location closer to GW. The medical staff explained to us that when they take out the vaccines in the morning, they have to use them all by the end of the day or they will expire. They explained to us that because of the inauguration, the road closures, and the change of location, multiple people had missed their vaccine appointments that day. Whenever this happens, they try as hard as possible to find people to take the leftovers before they expire so none are wasted.
- From the time you got the phone call can you describe the events after when you actually went in to get the vaccine?
My friend was walking down the street, and a man ran up to her asking if she wanted to get the COVID-19 vaccine right at that moment. The man was extremely frantic and was going up to multiple people on the street and asking them the same question. She couldn’t tell if this was legitimate and did not want to go in by herself, so she called me and asked me to go with her. I ran to meet her, and we ended up walking into the medical center. We walked into the front lobby, and a woman asked us a few questions about COVID-19 symptoms and took our temperature. After that, a security guard pointed us to the elevator, and we headed up to the third floor thinking that we were about to get the vaccine. When we got out of the elevator, there were a bunch of nurses lined up down the hallway and they started clapping for us. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a vaccine that day because they were all gone. But the whole experience was crazy, and I was so excited at the moment thinking about the possibility of getting a vaccine.
27 responses to “Excess COVID Vaccines Put To Use In GW Community”
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your site?
My blog site is in the exact same niche as yours and my visitors would certainly benefit from some
of the information you present here. Please let me know if
this okay with you. Cheers!
Saya telah berselancar online lebih dari tiga jam
hari ini, namun saya tidak pernah menemukan artikel menarik seperti milik Anda.
It is cukup berharga bagi saya. Secara pribadi , jika semua webmaster
dan blogger membuat konten yang baik seperti yang Anda
lakukan, web akan menjadi lebih berguna dari sebelumnya.
Feel free to surf to my webpage – Joker268
Saya akan segera ambil rss Anda karena saya tidak bisa temukan
My web page – Slot Joker Login
Saya telah telah berselancar online lebih dari tiga jam hari ini,
namun saya tidak pernah menemukan artikel menarik seperti milik Anda.
It is cukup berharga bagi saya. Dalam pandangan saya, jika semua webmaster dan blogger membuat konten yang baik
seperti yang Anda lakukan, net akan menjadi lebih berguna dari
sebelumnya.
Here is my homepage … Joker slot 1888
excellent issues altogether, you simply received a new reader.
What could you suggest about your post that you made some days in the
past? Any sure?
Saya tidak bisa menolak berkomentar. Baik ditulis!
Also visit my web-site; Joker123 net apk
Saya akan segera ambil rss feed Anda karena saya tidak bisa
Saya yakin artikel ini telah menyentuh semua pengunjung internet, benar-benar bagus paragraf tentang membangun blog baru.
Stop by my website Jokerbet888 login
Saya akan segera kopling rss Anda karena
saya tidak bisa
Ahaa, ini bagus percakapan tentang tulisan di
sini di situs web ini, saya sudah membaca semua itu, jadi
saat ini saya juga berkomentar di tempat ini.
Review my web blog Joker888 Test Id (Gameaco.Com)
оbviously like your web-ѕite however you need to
test the spelling on quite a few of yοur posts.
Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very troublesome to tell the reality on the other haqnd
I will definitely come aցain again.
It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d definitely donate to this brilliant blog!
I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed
to my Google account. I look forward to new updates and will talk about this website with my Facebook group.
Talk soon!
It’s really very cߋmplesx in thіs aϲtive
life to listen news on TV, thuѕ I sіmply uѕe internet for tht reason, and
take the hottest information.
The odds comparison tool is here to make certain that doesn’t occur.
This design is spectacular! You certainly know how to keep a
reader entertained. Between your wit and your videos, I
was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!)
Excellent job. I really enjoyed what you had to say,
and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!
As I website possessor I believe the content matter here is rattling great , appreciate it for your efforts.
You should keep it up forever! Best of luck.
Also visit my web page: how to go down on a woman
Hello just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the pictures
aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
I’ve tried it in two different browsers sex and orgasm tips both show the same
outcome.
Thanks very interesting blog!
Feel free to visit my webpage :: quit smoking
I’ve been exploring for a little bit for any high-quality articles or blog
posts on this sort of space . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this website.
Studying this information So i am glad to exhibit that I have a very just right uncanny feeling I found
out just what I needed. I most no doubt will make certain to do not fail
to remember this website and give it a look regularly.
My site – kiss916
Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thank you so much, However I am experiencing issues with your RSS.
I don’t know the reason why I cannot subscribe how to make a man orgasm it.
Is there anybody getting similar RSS issues? Anybody
who knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanx!!
You should be a part of a contest for one of the most useful websites online.
I am going to highly recommend this website!
Here is my webpage :: download mega888
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate to this fantastic blog!
I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to new updates and will talk about this
site with my Facebook group. Talk soon!
Here is my blog post: jackpot pussy888
I visited several blogs however the audio quality for audio songs current at this website is really excellent.
Feel free to surf to my site – xe88
What’s up everyone, it’s my first pay a quick visit at
this web page, and post is actually fruitful in favor of me, keep up posting
these types of content.
my blog post – scr mega888
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon every day.
It will always be exciting to read through content from other authors and practice
something from other websites.
My website; Xe88 angpao
Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to say that I get in fact
loved account your blog posts. Any way I will be subscribing in your
feeds and even I success you get admission to consistently quickly.
Feel free to visit my website :: download kiss918
It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate to this excellent blog!
I suppose for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS
feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will talk about this website with my Facebook group.
Talk soon!
my website: Slot pussy 888
What a stuff of un-ambiguity and preserveness of valuable experience
on the topic of unexpected feelings.
Also visit my blog post … 918kaya game (charlestonunitedcovidresponse.org)
I could not refrain from commenting. Very well written!
Here is my web page: xe88 game online