Immunity Together is a HOSA community awareness campaign ran by CB South Seniors: Nisha Karunanidhi, Megha Rao, Apoorva Siragavarapu, and Grace Yu. Our aim is to serve as a credible education source on vaccines, viruses, and modern medication. To do so, we
have planned interviews with healthcare professionals, engaging activities with elementary students, and distributions through workshop pamphlets. We want to not only raise awareness based on reliable information but also harvest a safe space for our community to learn.

Our first interview was with a South alum, Jeanette Lim (Class of ‘23), who is currently a PharmD student at Rutgers University. Studying in her first year as a pharmacy student, she spoke about her journey that led her to her pharmaceutical career aspirations. With long-term career goals in retail pharmacy, Jeanette shared insight about the pharmacist’s role in vaccine education, referring to them as the “backbone of immunizations.”

As a PharmD student with multiple clinical experiences, Jeanette shared her valuable insight on vaccines. She noted that vaccinations have shifted from primary care offices to retail pharmacies, making vaccines more accessible to the public. Moreover, she explained that pharmacists provide the most accurate vaccine education, including when to get vaccinated and how often doses are needed, since they are the ones administering the vaccines. Because many people are misinformed by articles or social media, Jeanette warned that people should not rely on the news or unreliable sources for medical information and should instead trust healthcare professionals. Additionally, Jeanette emphasized that vaccines save lives, protecting both individuals and the community.

Immunity Together is a campaign aimed at raising awareness about the importance of vaccine education in our community. Through our interview with Jeanette, we gained insight into the education provided to professionals and her perspective on vaccines in society. Her experiences as a PharmD student and her knowledge of clinical practice serve as a reliable source for our group, Immunity Together, to share her knowledge with the community.