University teams up with state, county to offer vaccine clinic

Higher education institutions hope to keep campuses open and students and staff healthy, despite hesitancy among the college-aged consumer to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Fayetteville State University is tackling this in several ways, including participating in a UNC system-wide effort to vaccinate the community. 

Through a partnership with the county and state health departments, FSU began offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in April. 

“Our hope was that through a partnership with the Cumberland County Department of Health, we’d be able to support county and state efforts to get people vaccinated,” said Melvin Lewis, director of emergency management at FSU. 

More than 400 vaccinations have been provided since then. With the end of the spring semester, FSU dropped the site’s operating hours from five days a week to one. The school is currently offering the Moderna vaccine. The vaccinations are free and open to the public. 

Higher education struggles

COVID-19 cases spiked when college campuses re-opened and their respective counties dealt with the fallout. While the country waited for students to become eligible for the vaccine, cases nationwide linked to college-campus infections shot up 64 percent in the spring. Some 260,000 coronavirus cases have been recorded since Jan. 1. 

Unlike some state schools, FSU continued to hold some in-person classes and house students on campus to meet student needs. After an initial drop in cases last fall, FSU saw a 156 percent leap in COVID-19 infections in the spring, compared to the previous year. Since the pandemic began, 399 total cases were recorded, 243 of which have occurred since January. Lewis said 203 of those were student infections. The school has also dealt with four clusters. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services deemed college students a priority population. They became eligible for the vaccine in April. The UNC System jumped at the opportunity and began offering vaccinations on campus at two dozen colleges and universities, including FSU. In a statement, the system said it was prioritizing underserved and rural populations. Through March, more than 27,000 vaccinations had been administered statewide. 

FSU encouraged its students and staff to get vaccinated in several ways. 

Vinette Gordon, director of student health services at FSU, and Dr. Jennifer Green, the Cumberland County Health director, hosted a virtual question-and-answer session with student-athletes in March. Gordon said many vaccine myths were dispelled after students asked questions. Gordon and the student health center also created short educational videos explaining the benefits of vaccination and the different vaccine options. 

The school offered gift cards as incentives if students got vaccinated. Lewis said in May that 29 cards had been handed out so far, most of them to students. 

The school has also offered paid time off to permanent and temporary employees to get vaccinated during work hours. 

Vaccine access is essential 

Lewis said the school plans to continue educating and offering incentives to encourage vaccination. 

“We’re hearing from our students the same hesitancy factors that are being discussed nationally,” said Lewis. “We’ll continue to educate our student population through a variety of resources, including working with community partners.”

Gordon said the school is planning to offer various vaccination options as FSU prepares for the fall semester. Gordon thinks that once the FDA officially approves the vaccines, as opposed to emergency authorization only, more people will feel safer getting vaccinated. 

While some schools, like Duke University, are mandating vaccination for students before they return in the fall, state schools aren’t requiring them, including FSU. FSU also follows the UNC protocol that asymptomatic vaccinated people don’t have to participate in surveillance testing. 

Gordon said access to the vaccine has been the most significant benefit of having a site on campus. At a school where first-year students don’t have transportation, getting vaccinated can involve much planning and effort, which acts as a deterrent. 

“By giving the students access, it helps them with choices,” said Gordon. “It’s convenient.”

The vaccination site runs Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the J.W. Seabrook Auditorium at 1200 Murchison Road. Vaccinations are free and open to the public. 

“Fayetteville State University is committed to providing for the health and safety of Broncos and our neighboring community,” said Lewis.