By Conner Tighe
To spread awareness and the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine, Open Door Health Services will be administering Moderna vaccinations to locals at the Ross Community Center (1110 W 10th St, Muncie, IN 47302) on April 30.
On Tuesday, March 23, Governor Eric Holcomb announced that all Indiana residents ages 16+ were eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced earlier in the month that those 16+ were eligible for the vaccine without prior appointments. It’s an approach states are taking to encourage younger age groups to get the vaccine.
Executive Director of Whitely Community Council Ken Hudson spoke with three Open Door Health Services members—Beena Joseph, John Woodall, Ashley Wilson—on April 19, addressing common myths and questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
There have been over 10,000 positive cases in Delaware County related to COVID-19, with 185 deaths overall. And this is only a small toll of the nearly 13,000 deaths in Indiana related to COVID-19. However, over 30,000 individuals in Delaware County have been fully vaccinated. The number of individuals getting vaccinated is declining as we move into May compared to late March, early April.
“The mRNA technology has been in development for three decades,” says Joseph. Thirty years of research has gone into mRNA technology, so it’s not something that’s new. Scientists have been working on this technology for Ebola virus vaccines, Flu viruses, Zika virus, and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).”
The mRNA is called messenger ribonucleic acid and stays true to its name. It’s a chemical that tells the body to create an immune response to the COVID-19 virus by creating a protein. This is why there are symptoms when folks receive the vaccine, as it triggers a response similar to if someone actually had the virus. This and other chemicals like lipids, sugar, salt, and acid stabilizers make up the Moderna vaccine.
This event will be free, with no citizenship required. Moderna vaccinations will be administered from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ross Community Center.
Sources: Open Door Health Services, Ross Community Center, IndyStar, Whitely Community Council, YouTube, IN.gov, IN.gov, Hackensack Meridian Health
Images: YouTube
Featured Image: Open Door Health Services