RALEIGH, NC – A sizable group of North Carolina college students will be eligible for a vaccine in April, under the guidance of the state Department of Health and Human Services.
When North Carolina drew up its initial plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine in October 2020, college students were listed as a priority, just ahead of the general public. When schools reopened in August, the cohort proved that it had the ability to quickly contribute to the spread of the community and feed outbreaks through off-campus parties.
But in January, North Carolina removed the group from the list of priorities amid a reaction from state lawmakers and the encouragement of federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to give stronger preference to older adults and those working in certain work sectors.
On Tuesday, health officials released a statement saying that college students living on campus or in other congregated settings will be able to receive from April 7, regardless of their age, health condition 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 on Wednesday, state health department secretary Mandy Cohen signaled that college students who do not live in a dorm or apartment would get the vaccine a few weeks after those who live in more compact housing environments. .
“We want to prioritize those in congregated environments,” said Cohen. “We know that this is where the virus spreads most quickly, which is why we are making this prioritization. I don’t think there will be a big time difference. “
As of Wednesday, clinically vulnerable residents who have waited for a vaccine for a long time and are at least 16 years old can receive an injection if they have at least one of 18 eligible health problems that could put them at risk serious illness if they are infected with the virus. Those clinically at risk and those who are homeless or incarcerated are the first populations prioritized in Phase 4a. The state is on track to make all remaining unvaccinated adults eligible by May 1.
Since the beginning of the fall semester, university students have become an important vector of transmission. An increase in cases at UNC-Chapel Hill drew national attention and prompted the college to close classroom teaching for undergraduate students after a week of classes and to have students leave their dormitories and return home.
Duke University announced this weekend that it would impose a week-long campus block after a series of new infections that the university attributes mainly to the fraternity’s running activities. The number of COVID-19 cases reported in the past week almost corresponded to the total number of cases that the university recorded throughout the fall semester.
Duke has seen a total of 556 positive cases among students since the beginning of 2021. UNC reported having 666 students infected this year, while North Carolina State University saw 1,068 positive diagnoses.
Many colleges have started to make students aware of the vaccine’s eligibility. At Elon University, a small private university in Alamance County, the university has a vaccine section on its website that says, “Students, staff and teachers are strongly encouraged to get the vaccine where and when it is available to them,” noting that students in dormitories or apartments are eligible on April 7th.
Chris Marsicano, professor at Davidson College and director of the College Crisis Initiative, calls for additional campuses to provide clear messages to help students understand when they will be eligible for vaccines.
“I know we’ve been telling students for months, ‘Just wait. We are so close, ‘”said Marsciano. “We really are so close now. We are at the end of the fourth quarter. Wait a little longer until you get the vaccine. “
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Anderson is a member of the Associated Press / Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a national nonprofit service program that puts journalists in local newsrooms to report on covert issues.