As restrictions for the Covid-19 vaccine availability are lifted, students around Derby are seizing the opportunity to get theirs. 

Booking appointments has been made easy by local pharmacies and health departments. 

Sophomore Livie Heseltine was able to get her first shot early.

“I was able to get mine because the county opened vaccinations to 16-year-olds with any sort of breathing issue, and I have asthma,” Heseltine said. 

Senior Callie Knudson received her vaccination after the availability was opened up fully to people ages 16 and over on March 29.

Rumors of horrible Covid-like symptoms and side effects from the vaccine have been passed from person to person, but a lot of people have had minimal or no negative effects. 

“Right afterwards I was fine, nothing except a sore arm,” Knudson said. “A couple days after, my throat was sore and I had a bad headache, but it went away shortly after.”

Heseltine added: “I didn’t have any major symptoms and afterwards I felt completely normal. My arm didn’t even hurt.”

Junior Audrey Steinert is planning on getting hers on a later date, but has already made her appointment. 

“I’m not really worried about having any bad side effects because if I get them, in my mind, it’ll be better than getting Covid,” Steinert said.

Making appointments to get vaccinated has been made quick and easy.

“The appointment was so easy to make. It took less than five minutes to schedule online,” Knudson said. 

Steinert agreed.

“It was really easy to make the appointment, I just had to go to the Health Department’s website and schedule my appointment,” Steinert said. “I could choose which vaccine to get. Overall, the process took about 10-15 minutes.”

The website is sedgwickcounty.org.

As vaccinations continue to roll out, availability for more ages will increase, even for middle schoolers.