RALEIGH, NC – A sizeable group of North Carolina students will be eligible for a vaccine in April under the guidance of the State Department of Health and Human Services.
When North Carolina developed its initial COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan in October 2020, students were included as a priority, even before the general public. When schools reopened in August, the cohort proved capable of contributing quickly to community outreach and feeding out-of-campus outbreaks.
But in January, North Carolina removed the group from the list of priorities amid reactions from state lawmakers and the encouragement of the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to give a stronger preference to older adults and those working in certain areas. job sectors.
On Tuesday, health officials issued a statement saying that students living on campus or in other congregation locations will be able to receive from April 7, regardless of age, health or employment status. Students are included in phase 4b of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, which also includes essential workers who have not yet been vaccinated.
During a news conference Wednesday, Secretary of State for Health Mandy Cohen said students who do not live in a dormitory or apartment will be shot a few weeks after those living in more compact housing environments.
“We want to give priority to those in the congregation,” Cohen said. “We know that the virus spreads there the fastest, so that’s why we make this a priority. I don’t think there will be a huge time difference. “
As of Wednesday, medically vulnerable residents who have been waiting for a vaccine for a long time and are at least 16 years old can be shot if they have at least one of 18 eligible health conditions that could put them at risk for disease. serious if infected with the virus. People at medical risk and those who are homeless or imprisoned are the first priority populations in phase 4a. The state is on track to make all unvaccinated adults eligible by May 1.
Since the beginning of the autumn semester, students have become a major transmission vector. An increase in cases at UNC-Chapel Hill has sparked national attention and prompted the college to close personal training for undergraduate students after a week of classes and get students to leave their homes and return home.
Duke University announced this weekend that it will impose a one-week blockade of the campus following a series of new infections that the university has largely blamed on fraternity activities. The number of COVID-19 cases reported last week almost matched the total number of cases registered by the university during the entire autumn semester.
Duke has recorded a total of 556 positive cases among students since early 2021. UNC reported having 666 infected students this year, while North Carolina State University has recorded 1,068 positive diagnoses.
Many colleagues have begun to make students aware of their eligibility for the vaccine. At Elon University, a small private university in Alamance County, the university has a vaccine section on its website that says, “Students, staff and faculty are strongly encouraged to receive the vaccine wherever and whenever it is available,” noting that students in dormitories or apartments are eligible on April 7.
Chris Marsicano, a professor at Davidson College and director of the College’s Crisis Initiative, urges additional campuses to provide clear messages to help students understand when they will be eligible for vaccinations.
“I know we’ve been telling students for months, ‘Wait. We are so close, “said Marsciano. “It simply came to our notice then. We are at the end of the fourth quarter. Hold on a little longer until you can get that vaccine. ”
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