Sophia Garza, a senior public health major from Brownsville, Texas, closely followed the development and progress of the COVID-19 vaccine, hopeful that its authorization would give her a modicum of peace and protection.

Emily McCollum, a senior social work major from Roanoke, Texas, watched her sister being college last year at another Texas institution. After seeing what her sister and last year's freshman classes around the country had as their introduction to college in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, McCollum made the decision to get vaccinated to be part of the solution to ensure the next incoming classes do not have to repeat a similar experience.

As the fall semester begins, the fight against COVID-19 continues in our world and in our community. Health experts have consistently reported that vaccinated individuals are better protected from severe illness than unvaccinated. As a member of the Baylor Family, you have convenient access to vaccines on our campus.

Baylor sophomores have many ways to prepare for postgraduate success. It is important for students to begin planning for a career or graduate school as early as possible, and the Baylor Career Center is equipped to help sophomores get that jump start.

With so much misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine populating online news and social media, it can be hard to know what is myth and what is truth. We asked Baylor experts, Benjamin Ryan, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor and noted public health researcher and Sharon Stern, M.D., Medical Director of Baylor Health Center, to address some of the most common vaccine myths.

Jonah Shaw, a sophomore religion major from DeSoto, Texas, knew he wanted the COVID-19 vaccine when it was available to protect himself and his community from the novel coronavirus.

As the University shared in a recent update to the campus community, Baylor is preparing for a normal fall with classes and events at 100% capacity. Although COVID-19 vaccinations are not required for students, faculty and staff for the fall semester, Baylor's medical team strongly encourages everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible.