East Carolina University Health Sciences Students Prioritize COVID-19 Vaccination

Strategic Insights -

As COVID-19 vaccines become available to healthcare workers in North Carolina, East Carolina University Health Sciences students have been given the option to get vaccinated, prioritizing their health and safety in the face of the ongoing pandemic. Specifically, students in the Brody School of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the School of Dental Medicine, and the College of Allied Health Sciences have been included as healthcare workers in Phase 1A of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) vaccine plan. According to Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Nursing Annette Peery, students in the College of Nursing are not required to be vaccinated, but many have chosen to receive the vaccine from their employers or through ECU Physicians. While Peery estimates that at least half of the College of Nursing students have received the vaccine, the exact number is difficult to determine due to various factors, including vaccine shortages.

Key Takeaways:

  • East Carolina University Health Sciences students, including those in the Brody School of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the School of Dental Medicine, and the College of Allied Health Sciences, have been included as healthcare workers in Phase 1A of the CDC's vaccine plan.
  • Due to a vaccine shortage, some students in the College of Nursing have not yet received an appointment for vaccination, and are encouraged to seek alternative options through ECU's COVID-19 website or local health departments.
  • Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Nursing Annette Peery estimates that at least half of the College of Nursing students have received the vaccine, although the exact number is difficult to determine.
  • Director of ECU Student Health Services LaNika Wright has been providing information and guiding schools within the Health Sciences area to identify students who require vaccination, and hopes that ECU can establish its own vaccine clinic to vaccinate students, faculty, and staff.
  • Sophomore nursing major Kayla Roberts has received her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and encourages others to do the same, highlighting the importance of modeling vaccination behavior for the community and reducing the risk of infection.

Statistics:

  • There are approximately 1,400 students in the College of Nursing at East Carolina University.
  • According to Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Nursing Annette Peery, at least half of the College of Nursing students have received the COVID-19 vaccine, but the exact number is difficult to determine.

Sources:

  • "COVID-19 vaccine plan" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Interview with Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Nursing Annette Peery
  • Interview with Director of ECU Student Health Services LaNika Wright
  • Email statement from Sophomore nursing major Kayla Roberts