Once COVID-19 vaccine is out, USC will provide, but not require it, official says

Once a publicly available vaccine for the coronavirus is available, the University of South Carolina will not require those who study or work on campus to obtain it, an official said Monday.

USC will, however, provide on-campus access to the vaccine, said Deborah Beck, the executive director of Student Health Services, during a Monday call with reporters.

“It won’t be a requirement at this point in time,” Beck said.

Vaccine progress is still in the early stages, and it is unclear when any vaccines will be available to the public, and even less clear when USC could begin offering them.

There is no currently approved vaccine for coronavirus, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, several pharmaceutical companies — such as Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca — are testing vaccines they all say are around 90% or 95% effective, according to media reports.

The U.S. government aims to have the first vaccines shipped by the end of the year, and more throughout 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.