Middle Tennessee State University students are being encouraged to not miss a special on-campus opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine with an upcoming weeklong clinic in the Student Union atrium.
Dubbed the “Don’t Miss Your Shot” campaign, this effort spearheaded by Health Services personnel provides an excellent chance for MTSU students — with an appointment — to receive their shot next week in a convenient, high traffic location.
Special signage posted around campus as well as digital signage, social media postings, a selfie station, Student Commons activities and other efforts are being made to spread the word about the free vaccine clinic set for Monday-Friday, April 12-16.
Appointment times in 15-minute intervals will be from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Extended hours, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., will be offered Tuesday, April 13. To schedule an appointment, go here or use the QR code found on “Don’t Miss Your Shot” signage.
MTSU Health Services officials anticipate administering around 60 student vaccines per hour initially. If more students request appointments, “we can re-tool and pull more vaccinators from Health Services,” said Lisa Schrader, Health Promotion director.
Currently, Health Services will be administering the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine to students.
“We highly encourage students to get the vaccine to protect themselves and their family and friends,” said Rick Chapman, Health Services director. “This is the best public health strategy we have.”
Chapman said Health Services learned earlier this week that anyone who is fully vaccinated — and comes in contact with someone with the coronavirus — they no longer have to quarantine.
Schrader said the importance of appointments is a key.
“There’s a priority placed on the doses we have, so none of it gets wasted,” she said.
Vaccines must be refrigerated, then brought to room temperature before they administered, “so it’s a math game played throughout the day,” Schrader said.
She added the university “is not planning to require the COVID vaccine (at the present time), but the more students who receive the vaccine, the more in-person activities will be offered in the fall.”
Aramark and the Campus Recreation Center will be partnering with Health Services to offer incentives for students to get vaccinated.
Students who show proof of vaccination will receive a free Subway cookie voucher. The first 50 vaccinated will receive a free drink from the Starbucks located in the James E. Walker Library.
Campus Rec will provide the choice of a free fitness class or a free intramural registration.
MTSU remains under a face covering mandate within all campus buildings as well as outside when social distancing is not possible. The university’s COVID-19 mitigation plan and ongoing updates can be found at https://www.mtsu.edu/coronavirus/.
Health Services will resume offering the vaccine, by appointments, at the Rec Center on Monday, April 19.
