Beginning April 1, all currently enrolled Duke students in the Durham area will be invited to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through Duke Health, according to an email from Student Health Director John Vaughn; Dean of Students John Blackshear; Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president for student affairs; and Gary Bennett, vice provost for undergraduate education.
The email states that Duke Health expects to receive enough single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines for all currently-enrolled undergraduate and graduate students in the Durham area. Students will receive an email with details regarding registration, scheduling and location in the next week. Due to “uncertainties in the supply chain,” the email further reads that it may take weeks to schedule an appointment and Duke encourages students to explore vaccination options outside of the University as well.
“Since the vaccine does not reach its full strength until two weeks after it is administered, and because it’s possible that vaccinated persons may still transmit the virus to others, all students must continue to follow Duke Compact and behavioral guidelines for the remainder of the semester,” the email states.
Although students are not required to be vaccinated, Provost Sally Kornbluth and Vice President of Administration Kyle Cavanaugh encourage all of them to do so, according to a separate email sent to faculty and staff.
The State of North Carolina announced earlier today that COVID-19 vaccine eligibility will expand to include college students starting March 31, as was written in the email.
This is a developing story and will be updated if new information becomes available.
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