On March 26th, a mass COVID-19 vaccination site opened on the University of Notre Dame’s campus. Alongside the Health Department of Saint Joseph County, the site was open at Compton Ice Arena from the 26th to the 28th. Although the vaccination site was for the state, it was still a great opportunity for the University to contribute in the fight against the pandemic. Over 5,760 vaccines were given over the two days.

The Compton Ice Arena mass vaccination site was one of the first throughout the state of Indiana. As a part of the state’s plan, two other sites were opened alongside the one at Notre Dame. One clinic was held at the Indiana Motor Speedway, and the other was at Ivy Tech Community College. The state is really pushing for its citizens to get vaccinated, and the University immediately came to their mind as a clinic space.

Over 5,760 vaccines were given at the University’s clinic, and it was a truly revolutionary process. According to Dr. Mark Fox, the deputy health officer of Saint Joseph County, there were around 1,100 doses given every day, which is a “week’s worth of vaccination in two days” (The Observer). The Compton Ice Area site started to get the ball rolling in terms of vaccination in the area, as only ~25% of Saint Joseph County residents received at least one dose of the vaccine before the clinic. On April 1st, it was over 30%.

It is an inspirational sight to see the increasing number of individuals who are receiving vaccines, both in the United States and in the Hoosier state. With more and more vaccinations being given every day, the idea of herd immunity may finally come to fruition, and it’s a great accomplishment for South Bend and the University of Notre Dame to be at the forefront of this achievement. The University hosting a state vaccination site shows the dedication that Notre Dame has for defeating COVID, and it shows great optimism for the following months.