First round of Naval Academy midshipmen receive COVID vaccine

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Tribune News Service) — By random chance, Midshipman 4th Class Mathew Downey was the first mid to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the Naval Academy.

Random chance because his alpha code happened to be the first one chosen by the randomized system the Naval Academy used to choose the order midshipmen would receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.

"Starting the vaccination of the Brigade of Midshipmen is a great start to getting back to normal at the academy," Downey said in a statement y released by the academy.

Downey, who had COVID-19, received the Moderna vaccine Thursday as midshipmen started receiving their first doses. He was among 1,800 vaccinations provided to midshipmen, faculty and staff Thursday and Friday.

The Naval Academy started vaccinating midshipmen in order for them to participate in summer training, where they will work with Naval crews.

The academy received doses and vaccinated midshipmen Thursday and Friday. More midshipmen will get the vaccinations as the academy receives more supply, spokesperson Cmdr. Alana Garas said in an email.

Some of the midshipmen who received their first shot will head to ships after commissioning this spring, including Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Tse, who will be heading to Yokosuka, Japan, after graduation.

"I want this vaccine, so I am able to get out into the fleet ASAP! I also want to be able to enjoy my basket leave with a normal-ish life, and I know this is only possible if I get the vaccine," she said in a statement released by the academy.
Tse was not concerned about getting the vaccine because she trusts the medical experts, she said. Members of her family have also received the vaccine without any side effects.

"I know a lot of women are afraid of the vaccine for fertility reasons, but I am not," she said. "I believe that this vaccine will allow me to live longer, so that I may actually have the opportunity to conceive children. I also know that as a relatively young person, my body is constantly regenerating."

All midshipmen at the Naval Academy are expected to receive the vaccine, although the timeline depends on the supply, Garas said. All midshipmen are scheduled for a summer fleet cruise.

"The summer training schedule for each midshipman not able to receive the vaccine will be evaluated and adjusted based on timing, Fleet restrictions, and individual midshipman preferences," Garas said in an email. "This is the standard practice for any medical issues that preclude any summer training events."

The vaccines are not yet licensed by the Federal Drug Administration and are available on a voluntary basis. The Navy will continue to evaluate and minimize risk while balancing training requirements when it comes to midshipmen who opt out of the vaccine.

Midshipmen who are sick with COVID-19 or in quarantine following close contact with someone who is positive for the disease will need to wait until they recover or finished their quarantine period before receiving the vaccine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone who had COVID-19 still get a vaccine. However, if treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, a person should wait 90 days after treatment before receiving the vaccine.

Getting the vaccine will help the midshipmen with their summer training schedules, but it will not guarantee them liberty immediately.

Liberty will be determined through multiple factors, which will include vaccination of the brigade, Garas said.

The Naval Academy received the Moderna vaccination Thursday and Friday, although it is able to receive both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines. Both require two doses, with three to four weeks in between, depending on the brand.

Being able to receive the vaccine is a privilege, said Midshipman 1st Class Cameron Kinley.

He decided to get it to help stop the pandemic, noting the past year has been rough on everyone, especially as families were not able to see each other for major family-centric holidays.

Getting the vaccine is also a way to protect others, from other mids to family, said Midshipman Second Class James Robert Wells, III.

"I also want to be able to enjoy the opportunities that USNA and the Navy provide such as fleet summer training, and return to a normal routine," Wells said in a statement.

It also helps those that the midshipmen might come in contact with as they embark on summer training or go to their first post- Naval Academy assignments, said Midshipman 1st Class Cam Davis.

"It is much bigger than myself," Davis said in a statement. "Joining the vaccinated community increases the potential that the world we live in now can return to the way it was before, and that is very exciting."