College students in Ohio will be able to get the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine on campus starting next week, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday.
Shortly after DeWine's announcement, the University of Cincinnati announced its plan to host on-campus vaccination clinics the week of April 10, through a partnership with UC Health.
"The University of Cincinnati is ready to act on this announcement, having previously formed a subcommittee of our COVID-19 Response Team in order to coordinate with state and local health experts in preparation for any expanded vaccine distribution that might include the UC campus," the website reads.
There is still some "uncertainty" as to when and how many vaccines will arrive, according to the website, so the April 10 benchmark is subject to change. UC students will receive an email from UC Health sometime next week detailing how to schedule an appointment.
Xavier University has already established an operational on-campus mass vaccination site. The Cintas Center has been providing thousands of vaccines to eligible Ohioans since mid-March.
On Friday Xavier's Doug Ruschman, associate vice president for marketing and communications, told The Enquirer the university was getting something set up for students who wish to get the vaccine.
"The Cintas Center has been a central place each week for vaccines so we have the infrastructure in place and Kroger has been great partners in this process," Ruschman said.
Xavier will return to mostly in-person classes in the fall, the university announced in early March. UC, Miami University, Northern Kentucky University, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and Mount St. Joseph University plan to do the same. University presidents and administrators across the region have been encouraging students to get the vaccine once it is available to them.
That time is now, DeWine says.
Vaccine eligibility expanded to Ohioans aged 16 and older on March 29. On Thursday, DeWine said college students are "significant carriers" of COVID-19, even though fewer young people get sick from the virus.
"It is a strategic move to vaccinate them on campus before they get out in early May, get out in the summer, and scatter throughout the state and throughout the country," DeWine said.
Still, students will not be required to get the vaccine.
Miami University in Oxford is also planning to offer on-campus vaccination clinics. Jessica Rivinius, director of news and media relations, told The Enquirer Miami is in the process of figuring out the logistics.
Officials at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College say they are open to hosting a vaccine clinic, but there are no immediate plans at this point. Most Cincinnati State students are still online through the end of the spring semester.
"We are strongly encouraging all of our students, faculty and staff to get their vaccines whenever they can and to maintain all COVID safety precautions," Cincinnati State spokesman Richard Curtis said in an email.
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