The COVID-19 vaccine roll-out has reached Marywood University’s campus. On April 8 and April 16, the university hosted pop-up vaccine clinics that allowed members of the Marywood community to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

According to Director of Student Health Services Maura Smith, the April 8 clinic was at first only meant for local college and university employees until Family Pharmacy, the pharmacy that provided the vaccines, notified the university that there would be an excessive number of vaccines.

“This was scheduled to be a pop-up vaccination clinic for faculty and staff,” said Smith. “We found out the evening before that there were additional doses that were available if we knew anyone who could use those vaccinations so that they didn’t go to waste.”

According to Smith, 500 people received vaccines during the April 8 clinic. An additional 120 people received vaccines at the April 16 clinic.

“We did have 500 vaccines available for [the April 16 clinic] but not as much interest as we had hoped,” said Smith.

According to Director of the Physician Assistant Program Abigail Davis, Associate Professor of Business Dr. Christopher Speicher played a significant role in connecting the university with Family Pharmacy.

Davis noted that since the vaccine roll-out began, Speicher has worked with the pharmacy to provide clinics for those in need.

“He wanted to help vaccinate some of the neediest people in town, so some elderly patients, some low-income high-rise houses and some in rural communities [who are] having a hard time accessing vaccines,” said Davis.

Davis explained that Undergraduate students in the Pre-Physician Assistant and Nursing programs are learning a great deal from volunteering at the community and university clinics.

“They are getting to work and talk with people, and that experience is not necessarily vaccinating, but more importantly, learning how to talk to people,” said Davis. “[Just communicating with patients] is so much more valuable than anything else. Especially for these students, since the pandemic started, they haven’t been able to do normal Pre-PA activities.”

Davis also noted that students in the Business and Social Work programs have also volunteered at these clinics.

“It has been actually a really cool chance for us to get to know them, which we normally wouldn’t have been able to do,” said Davis. “And to do some inner-professional learning with the other students as well.”

Music Education Major Kristin Ventricelli was one of the students who got vaccinated during the April 8 clinic. Ventricelli said she did not want to pass up the opportunity to get the vaccine, and she is happy to have received it.

“I did feel good getting the vaccine, and knowing that I’ll be fully vaccinated by the time I go home is very comforting,” Ventricelli.

The remaining clinics will happen on April 6 and April 13. These clinics will only offer second doses, but Smith said the university is exploring the possibility of additional first-dose clinics on campus.

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Twitter: @EllenFrantzTWW