ACE members have been hard at work since last spring helping their communities confront the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, following the emergency use authorization of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in December, institutions across the country have started offering their campus facilities and resources to assist with vaccine distribution and other vital pandemic-related needs.
“Colleges and universities are critical institutions in both urban and rural communities across the country and are committed to serving the broader common good. Many of these institutions have the knowledge, expertise, and infrastructure to support the national COVID-19 response strategy, help rebuild our economy, and ensure the health and educational well-being of our most vulnerable populations,” ACE President Ted Mitchell wrote in a letter to President Biden last week on the ways colleges and universities are stepping up to fight the pandemic.
In many communities, campus facilities often are the biggest buildings in the area, able to host and help manage the large number of people seeking vaccines and the health workers taking care of them.
Since mid-January, Shenandoah University’s (SU) James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics and Events Center has served as a COVID-19 mass-vaccination site in coordination with local chapters of the Virginia Department of Health. The 77,000-square-foot indoor athletic facility is the largest space within 70 miles of Winchester, Virginia. It also acts as the location for the school’s saliva-based surveillance testing program.
“Our faculty, staff and health professions students are honored to be a part of the response to this community health crisis through our longstanding partnership with Valley Health and the Lord Fairfax Health District,” said Shenandoah University president, Tracy Fitzsimmons. “We all have a role in advancing the health of our most vulnerable community members, our neighbors, and our families and we are proud to serve the community in this essential role.”
As SU began their vaccine rollout, they interviewed community members who were among the first to receive the vaccine.
“The whole experience was very moving for me. I’m touched Shenandoah has again come to our help,” said Sandra Wavrek.
The State University of New York (SUNY) also opened up multiple vaccination sites across New York state. Binghamton University, University at Buffalo, and the SUNY Polytechnic Institute campus in Utica are available for eligible New Yorkers to get their vaccine.
In addition to these locations, SUNY’s three hospitals have used 100 percent of their allotment to vaccinate health care personnel.
East Carolina University’s (ECU) pandemic response includes using mobile transportation units to deliver vaccines, along with patient treatment and education services, to rural and underserved populations across eastern North Carolina. The units have already delivered the first doses and will be out regularly when vaccine supplies increase. ECU’s medical school ranks in the top 10 percent of U.S. medical schools for graduating physicians who practice in the state, practice primary care and practice in underserved areas.
Some of the institutions participating in vaccine distribution began their involvement last year, working on vaccine research and holding clinical trials.
“We conducted successful clinical trials for the three (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson) vaccine candidates with an emphasis on underrepresented populations in Chicago. We have already accomplished about 15 percent of the vaccinations (roughly 20,000) in the city of Chicago and have an operational process that will be expanding from 10 to 40 stations in the next couple of weeks, capable of 10,000 a day,” Timothy L. Killeen, president of the University of Illinois System, wrote in an email.
Soka University, located in Orange County, California, one of the states most impacted by COVID-19, has signed a contract with local officials to administer the vaccine. The university plans to give 1,000 shots per day initially, but hopes to provide as many as 5,000 doses each day to local residents.
At Tulane University, a private research institution, administrators opened the J. Bennett Johnston Building in downtown New Orleans for distribution. The university focuses on streamlining the allocation process through email. Recipients receive a link containing a portal for registration, as well as additional information for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Given the limited shelf life of the vaccines, Tulane coordinates a running waitlist in the event that someone misses a scheduled appointment. People who qualify for this waitlist include students and staff who work with infected university members, frontline food service and custodial staff, and employees over 70 years old.
Beyond its campus facilities, Tulane employs its fourth- and first-year medical students during various stages of its distribution process.
“Our students, our med students specifically, have been tremendous…we have fourth-year students that are actually assisting with the administration itself, and we have [first-year] students who are volunteering in the observation areas…It is truly a win-win situation,” said Joey Esneault, executive director of Tulane University Medical Group.
Beyond students and local health department officials, Anne Arundel Community College worked with Maryland’s National Guard to expedite the vaccine inoculation process. On one day, they were able to help administer 700 shots by 5:30 p.m. with 170 more appointments scheduled for the remainder of the night.
Many colleges and universities are deeply involved in the vaccine process, or have made clear their willingness to help—this is a long-tail process, and support will be needed throughout 2021. We will be updating the list below as institutions let us know how they are participating.
Photo courtesy of Ardy Wunder, Shenandoah University