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Hundreds of Duquesne University pharmacy students administer thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses

PITTSBURGH — It’s been a life-changing experience for thousands of Duquesne University pharmacy students as they’ve administered more than 1,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

For students like Riyan Babidhan and Shani Quarture, it’s also deeply personal.

“Unfortunately I lost an uncle to MERS coronavirus back in 2012. The first reported case was in my country Saudi Arabia so my message to people is that I can feel that they feel,” Babidhan said.

“Both my sisters ended up having COVID-19. One had it in November, one had it in December,” Quarture said.

She said she’s determined to be part of the solution. Out of all the doses she’s been able to give, the ones that went to her grandparents were special.

“My grandparents are like my best friends in the whole world,” Quarture said. “Being able to firsthand administer it to them and protect them from COVID-19 was very rewarding for sure.”

More than 400 pharmacy students at Duquesne are certified to give the vaccine after undergoing hours of training.

“When I saw people thank me for my service, that truly inspired me to help them and defeat the pandemic,” Babidhan said.