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Dear campus community, This is an important week in our ongoing efforts to keep the campus community safe and healthy during the pandemic. This Thursday, January 7, 2021, we will begin administering the Moderna vaccine to members of the campus community under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Detroit Health Department (DHD). Under the terms of this agreement, we will distribute the vaccine in a phased approach as outlined by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service (MDHHS). The first people to receive the vaccine will be front-line health professions faculty and students who are in active clinical practice/rotations with patients this semester. The order of distribution is specified by direction from the DHD. The first group of students/faculty who are eligible to receive the vaccine this week have received an email with specific instructions as to how to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine at the Campus Health Center (CHC). Over the next weeks, more students and faculty in this first group will receive the same email. If you choose to receive the vaccine, please read the detailed instructions carefully prior to scheduling your appointment. Once these first groups are vaccinated, we will move on to other campus populations in the order specified by the DHD. Throughout the process, we will keep you informed of our progress. Our ultimate goal is to make the vaccine available to all members of the campus community who choose to receive it, and we appreciate your patience as we partner with DHD in accordance with their guidelines for effective public health practice. The vaccine will be free to all faculty, staff and students at WSU. Although we are not making the vaccine mandatory, we strongly encourage you to get it when it is your turn. It has a very high efficacy rate and side effects have been rare and mild. Large segments of the population receiving the vaccine is key to our being able to move past COVID-19. We will continue to update you as we receive further guidance from the Detroit Public Health Department. I’d also like to take this opportunity to invite you to a special virtual Town Hall about the vaccine scheduled for next Thursday, January 14, from 3-4 pm. Participants will include President M. Roy Wilson, myself, Dr. Paul Kilgore, Dr. Marc Zervos, and Ramona Benkert, interim dean of the College of Nursing. This is an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about the vaccine from the experts, and you’ll also get the chance to ask questions of the panel. I hope you can join us. Sincerely,
Laurie M. Lauzon Clabo, PhD, RN, FAAN |
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