COVID vaccine distribution ramps up on campuses, and NC State community is thrilled
College campuses are the next wave in efforts to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, with college students and employees headed to N.C. State University’s “PackVax” clinic, which opened Wednesday morning.
Students filed into a ballroom at the Talley Student Union that had been turned into a health clinic with more than a dozen staff members.
Dylan Shaw, a sophomore who has asthma, scheduled an appointment for the first day the campus clinic opened.
“It’s not easy to find places to get vaccines ... especially for college students,” Shaw said. “Being at NC State, it gives people a great opportunity to get their vaccine.”
Shaw said it feels amazing to be part of this effort that will get students out of quarantine and back on campus for a more normal college experience.
Freshman Isabella Reyes also was relieved to get her vaccine and said it was an easy walk over from her dorm on campus.
Students who got vaccines on the first day received the Johnson & Johnson shot, so they won’t need a second appointment. Reyes said that added to the convenience.
NCSU offers ‘easy access’ to COVID vaccine
N.C. State is planning a “normal” fall semester, with in-person classes and dorms at full capacity. Students and employees getting vaccinated — and continuing to follow the 3 W’s — are going to help the university get there, said Dr. Julie Casani, director and medical director of Student Health Services at NC State University.
“This is the next step for us to get back to normal,” Casani said. “We want the students back. We love having the students on campus, and that’s why we’re here.”
Campuses have been a priority in the state’s vaccine distribution plan, because many proved to be hotspots with COVID-19 outbreaks and rapid spread last fall. NCSU brought thousands of people back to campus this spring and has been able to keep clusters and spikes in cases relatively low.
This clinic offers “easy access” to vaccines for staff, faculty and students who can stop by between classes or after a meeting on campus, Casani said.
N.C. State has 300 doses of Moderna and 300 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines for this week, which were allocated through the state.
More than 10,000 people in the campus community have pre-registered for a COVID vaccine. NCSU will have about 150 appointments each day for the next four days of the clinic, which runs Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
N.C. State will first prioritize individuals over age 65, those with medical conditions that put them at risk for severe disease and essential workers with face-to-face roles, according to Casani. She said they’re expecting to move through those groups quickly and their goal is to get students and employees vaccinated before the end of the spring semester.
The university plans to keep the vaccine clinic running throughout the spring and into the fall.
Harrison Andrews, a sophomore who lives in a dorm, was eager to get vaccinated.
“I just want to do my part to help stop the spread of COVID-19,” Andrews said. “I trust the science, and I listen to the health experts.”
Who can get a vaccine?
Here’s what university students and employees need to know about how to get a vaccine:
All university employees working in-person on campus, including student workers and volunteers, became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on March 3. Anyone 16-64 years old with one or more high-risk medical conditions have been eligible since March 17.
Other students living in close group settings like campus apartments, dorms and fraternity and sorority housing can get vaccinated starting on March 31. Other university faculty and staff will also become eligible on March 31 because they are considered essential workers.
All people 16 years and older in North Carolina will be able to sign up for a shot on April 7.
Some students living in residence halls have already gone off campus to get vaccines at places like Walgreens by saying they live in a congregate setting.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, said at a March 17 press conference that they are prioritizing those living in congregate settings because that’s where the virus spreads fastest.
North Carolina is on track to have all adults be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by May 1, which is about the end of the spring semester.
Individuals can check which group they are part of and when they are eligible by answering questions at findmygroup.nc.gov.
Where can you get a vaccine?
University students and employees can get vaccinated for free anywhere in the state and can find a location at myspot.nc.gov. Vaccine appointments can be made locally and around the state.
Several UNC System universities are setting up vaccination clinics on campus:
▪ Eligible individuals can schedule an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine at East Carolina University in Greenville through ECU Physicians on the Health Sciences Campus or Student Health Services on the main campus.
▪ North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, UNC Asheville, UNC Pembroke and Western Carolina University have opened clinics to serve their local communities and students can go there once they’re eligible.
In early March, Appalachian State University held its first two vaccine clinics for eligible students, faculty, staff and community members.
UNC-Chapel Hill’s vaccination clinic opens March 31 and start giving out the first of its 2,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The clinic will be located in the Student Union where the Wendy’s restaurant used to be.
“The faster we can distribute these vaccines, the faster we can get North Carolinians back to work, back to family gatherings, back to normal life,” UNC System President Peter Hans said in an earlier statement. “Our public universities will do everything in their power to bring that day closer.”
This story was originally published March 24, 2021 at 1:52 PM with the headline "COVID vaccine distribution ramps up on campuses, and NC State community is thrilled."
