Almost 10 months after the original COVID-19 vaccine was announced, Pfizer-BioNTech's booster shot was approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and Moderna soon followed suit. Now, with Omicron cases rising throughout the nation, many Chapman University students are receiving their booster shots.

Taylor Frazier, a sophomore strategic and corporate communication major, recently received her Pfizer booster shot after receiving the first two Pfizer vaccine shots in the spring. Frazier said she had no noticeable side effects other than some soreness in her arm, and she encourages others to go out and get the vaccine booster as well.

“It's important that people protect themselves and others,” Frazier said. “With traveling coming up and the holidays, I want to protect my (older) family members, and when I come back to school, I want to feel like I’ve done my part.”

Frazier strongly believes all eligible Chapman students should go out and get the booster as well without hesitation to proactively combat another spike in cases when returning to campus after break. 

“Don’t be scared of (the booster),” Frazier said.  “Everyone should trust the science.”

In addition to the latest booster, Moderna announced on Nov. 29 the possibility of releasing a new vaccine at the beginning of 2022 in an attempt to combat the Omicron variant. However, the hope is that the third dose of the vaccine will continue to provide sufficient protection until an alternative can be made available in large quantities. 

“From the beginning, we have said that, as we seek to defeat the pandemic, it is imperative that we are proactive as the virus evolves,” said Stéphane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, in a Nov. 26 statement. “We are already studying two multi-valent booster candidates in the clinic that were designed to anticipate mutations such as those that have emerged in the Omicron variant. Data is expected in the coming weeks, (and) we are rapidly advancing an Omicron-specific booster candidate.”

A South African report found the Pfizer vaccine gives only minimal protection against the variant, despite the company saying a three-shot course of their vaccine can successfully neutralize the Omicron variant. However, the booster shot should help fight the virus better, according to the same South African study.

In a Dec. 8 statement, Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, said in order to increase health around the world, people must continue to get vaccinated.

“Our preliminary, first dataset indicates that a third dose could still offer a sufficient level of protection from disease of any severity caused by the Omicron variant,” Sahin said. “Broad vaccination and booster campaigns around the world could help us to better protect people everywhere and to get through the winter season. We continue to work on an adapted vaccine.”

Tosca Johnson, a junior screenwriting major, has not yet received her COVID-19 booster, but she plans to get it within the next week. Johnson said she is tired of juggling college during a pandemic and is ready for the normalcy that more vaccination can hopefully bring.

“I think that all of us as college students are really eager to get back to normal, and the vaccine, especially the booster, is the best way that we can achieve that,” Johnson said. 

Johnson said the Omicron variant also played a large role in influencing her to get the booster shot before going home for the holidays.

“I live with my grandmother (back at home), who’s older, and I want to do everything I can to protect her when I’m home,” Johnson said.

For Chapman students interested in receiving the vaccine and or booster, The Panther compiled a list of the closest places to campus offering both:

Walgreens Co. #10336 

1538 E Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92866

Diabetes Associates Medical Group 

1234 W Chapman Ave #106, Orange, CA 92868

Rite Aid #RA105748 

1825 E Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92867

Walgreens Co. #3815 

111 S Main St, Orange, CA 92868

UrgentCare3D - Orange 

396 S Main St #101, Orange, CA 92868

Here is a full list of locations near Chapman.