Americans have watched frontline workers and elderly folks get vaccinated for months, and now California is offering two opportunities for its citizens to get vaccinated through means unrelated to their age or employment.

One of these opportunities is through a program put on by California Volunteer called My Turn Volunteer.  Californians can volunteer to work at vaccination sites all across the state and in return for three or more hours of work, participants will qualify as healthcare workers and be eligible to receive the COVI-19 vaccine. This gives citizens that wouldn’t qualify an opportunity to receive the vaccine sooner than they normally would by volunteering.

California State Governor Gavin Newsom described how volunteers are receiving their vaccine in an interview with CBS news by saying, “In the face of challenges, Californians come together and our fight to end this pandemic is no different. Volunteers can play an especially important role in supporting our vaccination efforts by serving at a local vaccination site.” He then went on to say, “I encourage all Californians to join the My Turn – Volunteer effort in service to their community and together we can reach the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Anyone can get involved in volunteering, just input a zip code on the My Turn website and it will bring up vaccine sites in need of volunteers in that area.  A volunteer does not have to be a doctor or nurse; the sites need help with things like providing language support, sanitizing stations, directing traffic, and registering vaccine recipients.  

This is a fantastic opportunity for Californians, as many are wondering when they’ll be next in line, and this is a way to work up to the top of the list. The vaccines around the country have been received well, and many are eager to return to normalcy once everyone has been immunized and conditions allow.

There are also a number of vaccine trials being conducted by institutions like the University of California San Francisco that research how people respond to the  COVID-19 vaccine.  The research is looking for volunteers preferably over the age of 50 who have not received their first vaccine. This would be another way for citizens who are unvaccinated to receive the vaccine through participating in the research. The study is looking for the pros and cons of taking the different vaccines.  This will be an interesting study to come out to see how it may or may not affect individuals differently. 

The study at UCSF is “Focusing on how factors ranging from immune cell age to lack of sleep may influence immune response to the vaccines” Elissa Chudwin from the Press Democrat explained. 

In the first few months of the vaccine, the results have come back very positive, people all over the country are becoming able to be vaccinated.  President Joe Biden has been quoted saying that America will have enough vaccines for everyone in the country.  California is making positive strides by creating vaccine centers that are now even allowing volunteers to receive vaccines and universities are allowing people you have not received a vaccine an opportunity to do research on the effects of it.  

Jessica Sanchez, a sophomore at Sonoma State University, received her vaccine and described it as, “I was nervous of course when I went in but after talking to a few people and knowing that this is here to help cut down on the spread I felt a little more anxious to receive it.  I was able to get my vaccine a couple weeks ago and am looking forward to receiving my second.”

California’s volunteer opportunities are paving the way for other states to do the same, and if things continue moving in a positive direction, the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel may being drawing closer.