On the 27of August, NUI Galway introduced a pop-up vaccination centre on campus for staff and students. The centre carries both the first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine (even if you got your first elsewhere) and is distributed free of charge for the benefit of anyone who wishes to receive it. As an added bonus, the centre is running on a walk-in basis, no appointment needed, with opening hours being 9am -5pm, Monday through Thursday.
If you are at all anxious about getting the jab, but still want to ensure you are safe from the virus, stop by the pop-up centre. The vaccination centre is located beside Smokey’s café in the Concourse. There is no closing date on this wonderful service, so drop by whenever you can if you want.
I received my Pfizer vaccine at this centre, and I couldn’t recommend this service enough, as the superb staff were so professional and lovely to those of us receiving the vaccine. They made sure that we were comfortable, and the caring nurse informed me about the common side effects such as a headache, sore arm, some flu-like symptoms, and of the very rare risks. Luckily, I haven’t experienced any of these symptoms; as of yet.
As someone who is terrified of needles, I was incredibly nervous to get the vaccine; but I couldn’t have been more pleased with my experience. The nurse who administered my vaccine could not have been nicer or more understanding about my fear of needles. And let me tell you, if you are at all nervous about getting the vaccine because of the needle, I personally didn’t feel a thing. I was still anxiously waiting for the sting when she told me that it was all done and over.
We, as students, have had a hard time over the last two years. The stereotypical university experience is going out and meeting people with a little bit of study thrown in. We deserve to get the most out of our university experience and I personally believe that the vaccines are paving the road back to some form of normality.
We deserve to be able to live our lives the way we wish, we deserve to be safe from COVID-19, and for me, being vaccinated is the best way of getting my life back on track.
