INDIANAPOLIS — NOTE: The above video is an explainer on how mRNA vaccines work.
In a pandemic that feels like it will never end, there is a new attitude emerging on college campuses.
Students, many of whom had their doubts about COVID-19 vaccines, are now lining up by the thousands to get vaccinated.
At Butler University, students who are part of a generation of younger Americans who initially turned their backs on vaccinations are rolling up their sleeves for a shot in the arm.
"I think we are ready to get the vaccine and move towards less COVID worry," said Ryan Gernady, a junior.
Almost 3,000 Butler students signed up for vaccinations. Many other students, according to spokesperson Mark Apple, were already vaccinated.
"Being able to vaccinate as many students as we are going to this week, allows us to fully reopen the campus in the fall so we can have a more normal college experience for these students," Apple explained.
That is a huge incentive at Butler and on other college campuses.
Two out of three IU Bloomington students surveyed said they are likely or very likely to get shots. More than 2,200 were vaccinated in two days.
Nine out of 10 Purdue students said they planned to be vaccinated. On its opening day, the university's clinic administered almost 2,200 shots.
Butler University, like some other universities, is considering requiring students to have COVID-19 vaccinations before they arrive on campus in the fall. The decision may hinge on the availability of vaccines.
"The main consideration is how many students are going to be, will have the opportunity to get vaccinated by the fall," Apple said.
Right now, the emphasis is on getting students vaccinated before they leave on summer break.
Around 240 of Butler's pharmacy majors volunteered to help with the vaccinations. They aren't getting class credits. They are not getting paid. They are getting granola bars and bottled water and, Kaitlyn Kastberg says some hope and satisfaction.
"I would really like to go out to restaurants again and public places and not wear a mask, some time, eventually," she said.
Every vaccination brings normalcy one step closer.