CSC staff contemplates COVID-19 vaccination

Nebraska’s COVID-19 vaccination plan currently reaches educators and certain educational staff. Some staff at CSC have and are taking advantage of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination.  

Other workers seem more skeptical and plan to wait some time before getting vaccinated; others have no intention of ever receiving the vaccine. 

CSC Assistant English Professor Markus Jones received his first dose of the Moderna vaccine last Friday. Asked why he chose to get vaccinated; he issued two simple reasons. 

“Because we are living in a global pandemic and I believe in science,” Jones said.  

For him, the COVID-19 shot caused some of the commonly reported symptoms incurred following vaccination. 

“I had sort of a mini COVID weekend; I had the sniffles; I had shivers; I had hot sweats when I slept; I woke up with a pretty bad headache on Saturday morning just like I had during COVID; that luckily didn’t come back on Sunday as bad,” Jones said. “My injection site got very red, pretty hot and pretty swollen.”

For Jones, who was infected with COVID-19, the vaccination is still worth getting. 

“COVID was a terrible experience,” he said. “I don’t want to go through that ever again.” 

Jones hopes enough people receive the vaccination so current restrictive health measures may be reduced or return to normal.

“I’m tired of wearing a mask,” he said. “I’m tired of all of these restrictions. If we would all get the shot – if we all did – we would be able to lift these masks.”  

Brandon Smart works as a custodian in the Student Center. He is more skeptical of the vaccine but expects to eventually receive one. 

“I don’t like the two-shot vaccine, so I’m waiting for the single,” Smart said. “I’m almost more scared of the vaccine than COVID itself.” 

He’s indifferent but doesn’t want to be one of a few who refuse the vaccine. 

“I’m mostly indifferent, but the reason I would get it would be if everyone else has it,” he said. “That would be the main reason just to kind of not be a black sheep,” he said.  

He said fulfilling herd immunity would be another reason to receive the vaccine but isn’t greatly concerned about what people may think of him if he chooses not to. 

Another CSC worker, speaking on condition of anonymity, has no intention of receiving the vaccination, and questions its safety. 

“I don’t know what it’s going to do six months, a year down the line.” 

The worker was less concerned about COVID-19 than some staff and doesn’t expect to infect others or be infected, saying social distancing is part of the job anyways.  

“If everybody gets vaccinated and I don’t, then they shouldn’t give it to me,” the worker said. “I keep my distance.” 

The worker says the vaccination choice remains a decision for the individual. 

“As an American I have the right to either make that choice, or not make that choice,” the worker said. “And even though they might ban me from getting on a plane, so be it.” 

Assistant Social Sciences Professor Justin Curtis received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on CSC’s campus just before midterm break. The vaccine impacted him less than Jones, just having a sore arm. 

He says the vaccine will help society leave the pandemic behind. 

“It is the only way we’re going to move past this pandemic without everyone getting sick,” he said. 

“We have a civic obligation to take care of ourselves and our community,” he said. “the vaccine is for more than just ourselves; it is for reestablishing a normal community.”  

Head CSC Rodeo Coach Dustin Luper had a different perspective than Curtis. Luper, saying he doesn’t fear the virus, doesn’t plan to get vaccinated and feels the vaccination is not the only way to return a sense of normalcy. 

“It’s just something that I’m not going to be afraid of,” he said. “I’m going to go on and live my life like I would normally. I’m not going to let something like this dictate what I’m going to do.” 

Like the anonymous worker, he recognizes the vaccination is a choice, and questions its reliability. 

“The cool part of being an American is you have that choice, and I just choose not to be a part of it,” Luper said. “My biggest deal is there has not been enough research; it took years and years to come up with vaccines for polio, yellow fever and measles.” 

For him, the vaccine is unnecessary. 

“I would rather grow an immunity to it in a natural way and process, and keep my body healthy and eat right, than rely on man to make a vaccine for something that could eventually go wrong later down the road,” he said. 

Luper recognizes that, for a minority, COVID-19 may be dangerous, but he feels that minority shouldn’t dictate rules for everyone else in society. 

“I understand it affects everybody differently,” he said. “But I think for the sake of the minority we’re really putting pressure on the majority.” 

He says his faith in God has prevented him from fearing the virus. 

“I’m faith over fear,” he said. “You either grab ahold of faith and you go higher, or you live in fear and let it dictate your life.”