Hundreds of IU med students volunteer to help distribute COVID-19 vaccine
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — State health officials Wednesday expressed a wave of emotion after seeing Hoosiers get the first doses of coronavirus vaccine.
Some of those injecting the vaccine Wednesday were volunteers. They’re part of an army of more than 600 nursing and medical students at Indiana University.
In a time of crisis, one first-year student said, besides enlisting in the military during a potential world war, this is the next best thing.
They’re helping those who have helped so many especially this last year.
For those whose career aspiration is to help those in need like fourth-year medical student Anna Roesler, it just makes sense.
“It reinforced the importance and why we went into this,” Roesler said. “It was really cool to be a part of the very first day.”
When the call went out at the IU School of Medicine, more than 600 answered including 430 med students and 209 nursing students. They’re now on call to help give the vaccine when needed.
“Help the front-line workers who are really sacrificing a lot for us,” Roesler said. “I was happy to help give the vaccine to them and help start the end of the pandemic. To start moving toward that was really exciting.”
The groundwork was laid in November.
Each student had to spend more than an hour in training. Some was virtual from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with some some in-person training before they could give the vaccine.
Roesler said it’s not as easy as it looks with lessons on proper sterilization techniques and proper injection technique. In this case, it requires the needle to remain in the arm for 10 seconds.
“It was important to learn each step and not miss a step because each step is important. It looks simple but you have to make sure you have everything,” Roesler said.
Still, it’s understandable that even with adequate training, there are a few nerves knowing you’re a part of history.
But Roesler said that went away quickly and she’s confident she and the rest of the IU medical army is ready help when called upon.
“They definitely prepared us well to be doing it,” she said. “I am just really happy and honored that IU gave us the opportunity to help out with this.”
One advantage of IU’s regional campus system is that students volunteered all over the state so it’s just not an volunteer army based just in Indianapolis.