A partnership between Methodist University and the Cumberland County Department of Public Health saw more than 100 local students receive vaccinations last week, according to a statement released on Tuesday.
“My main reason to get the vaccine is to stop the spread of COVID-19 and do my part,” said America Yakop, a freshman at MU. “The smart thing to do is get vaccinated. Not just for myself, but for other people.”
The university plans to make vaccinations a condition of enrollment. Effective Oct. 15, all students at the university must have received the vaccination, school officials said on Thursday.
The order follows the Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, and the Johnson & Johnson and Modern vaccines already authorized for emergency use.
Thursday’s “Vax to the Max” event will be followed by a Sept. 16 clinic for students, faculty and staff, according to information released on Tuesday by the University.
“I got vaccinated for my little brother at home because I don’t want to pass anything to him,” said MU junior Lauryn Fisher. “It’s important for people to be vaccinated and stay safe.”
The university remained open all of last year for on-campus residential living and in-person classes, a testament to the school’s priority to keep students safe, according to school officials.
According to one news report on Tuesday from the Raleigh News and Observer, 50 percent of North Carolina residents have been vaccinated.
New data from The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services stated on Aug. 27, that “unvaccinated people were 15.4 times, or 1,540 percent, more likely to die from COVID-19 during the four-week period ending Aug. 21, 2021, according to the recent report.
“This comes as the state hit a pandemic high on Aug. 26 with 912 adults in the ICU with COVID-19. The number of COVID-19 patients on ventilators also reached a record high at 574,” the report stated.