Vaccination eligibility age expanded to ages 16 and up
USD makes effort to brace for next step in vaccination of on-campus members
Yana Kouretas / Contributor / The USD Vista
For college and high school students alike, the possibility of vaccination has been long-awaited. Over the past few months, the administration of vaccines in California has been in full swing, although the roll-out has not been without its interruptions of constantly changing eligibility requirements and unreliable supply allocations in the beginning of the process. The distribution of vaccines in the state of California has amassed over 20 million and counting, starting with health care workers and long-term care residents to the currently available group of individuals ages 50 and older, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The number of doses that California will obtain in April alone is already set to significantly surpass the 1.8 million doses that the state has received weekly up until now. For each week in the first half of April, the state will receive 2.5 million doses, and in the second half of the month, the allocations will increase to 3 million weekly.
With vaccinations now veering toward a younger population, this raises the question of whether or not USD will make vaccines open to students on campus. The rise of more consistent dosage supplies has made it possible for those ages 16 and older to soon be vaccinated. In terms of looking at the bigger picture, this provides the essential response to direct college instruction and activities back onto the path to normalcy.
Sophomore Lily Burger is eager to get in line to be vaccinated, but will explore the most accessible course of action when the occasion presents itself.
“I definitely want to get the vaccine when it is my turn so I have that extra level of protection for myself and for others in the USD community,” Burger said. “That being said, if other places are offering a shot sooner than on campus, I will probably get it somewhere else.”
The likelihood of organizing a vaccination system for all students on campus, facilitated by the Student Health Center, is very possible, but not concrete. Pamela Sikes, director of the Student Health Center, clarified USD’s intentions to move forward with this process when they feel as the supply is constant enough to present it to all students, and the protocols are properly put in place for it to run smoothly.
“The SHC has been receiving small and sporadic allotments of the vaccine as we follow the San Diego County tier system,” Sikes said. “Currently, we are still vaccinating those in Tier 1B, so I think it may be some time before we have vaccines for anyone over the age of 16. Still, we are actively trying to get vaccine supplies for all on campus, especially for our students.”
Although the vaccination process is underway, it still takes an extensive effort to bring all the pieces together, especially when the amount of individuals looking to get vaccinated outweighs the capacity of doses allotted. In the meantime, as USD prepares for the time when a more steady vaccine reserve will be attainable, Sikes and the rest of the administration urges students to stay vigilant and keep an eye out for vaccination slots as the date approaches.
“The vaccine supply is constantly changing. It can be ordered weekly, and we’ve been doing that — but we usually do not receive any, or a much smaller quantity than ordered,” Sikes said. “When the SHC has vaccines available for students, we will let them know immediately.”
Regardless, the university has taken the steps necessary to present student employees and staff with the option for vaccination on campus, under the “Vaccination Action Plan,” which is solely contingent on the number of vaccines the school receives weekly. On April 7 and 8, USD hosted a clinic inviting on-campus student employees, faculty, staff, and administration members to collect their first dose of the Moderna vaccine. However, they are finding that many employees have already been vaccinated elsewhere.
As of now, the school is also proceeding to meet students who fall under phase 1C with a vaccination opportunity. On April 9, an email was sent to students from the SHC announcing their limited vaccine supply to those that fall under the latest eligibility requirements that the school is following. This includes those with high-risk medical conditions and those who have specified on-campus activities, such as students that attend in-person classes and scholar-athletes. Appointments are sparse, but the SHC will continue to notify students as more vaccines become available.
With this in mind, the school has emphasized to the eligible groups that there is no guarantee of a sufficient supply of the Moderna vaccine to serve each individual with their second dosage on campus as well.
In the upcoming weeks, the university braces to facilitate this process for a broader range of students as the SHC progresses through the different vaccination phases. Although the image of an entirely vaccinated student body and a normal college experience is still far off, the prospect of a return to normalcy is hopeful.