“Vaccination is one of the most important tools we have to manage the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Steve Large, Miami University’s assistant vice president of health and wellness for Student Life. “We are full of both hope and gratitude to be able to provide these vaccines thanks to the work of Governor Mike DeWine and his office.”
Most of the vaccines heading to college campuses will be the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is only one dose.
The majority of younger Ohio adults were ineligible until March 29, but now, depending on the specific vaccine maker, people in the state as young as 16 can get a shot. It is not clear how many college students have already sought vaccines but 2% of Ohioans 19 or younger have at least one dose, and 17.5% of Ohioans in their 20s — or about 271,900 people ― have received at least one dose.
“By offering vaccinations on college campuses we believe more students will opt to get the vaccine and they’ll get it with their peers,” DeWine said last week when announcing the program.
DeWine on Monday visited the vaccine clinic at Ohio State University as part of a push to make vaccines eligible to college students across the state. The governor said after the event that efforts to vaccinate college students allows for a significant number of people to get vaccinated in a short time frame.
Miami will offer vaccination clinics for its students April 10, 11, 15 and 16. Miami University has received 3,500 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from the state designated for students. Pfizer is a two-dose vaccine; the second dose will be offered May 1, 2, 6 and 8.
Students who are living on campus will be given the initial opportunity to register for the vaccine, followed by students taking in-person or hybrid classes. If appointments remain available, the clinics will be opened to any Miami University student.
Miami also is holding an employee vaccination clinic on April 7 with an initial 1,000 of one of the two-dose vaccines provided to us from Ohio that are not part of the student allocation. While the vaccine is voluntary and not required, the university has encouraged its students and employees to get vaccinated.
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