Today Magazine Summer 2021 | Page 14

For the Common Good : Vaccinating Our Community

GMercyU ’ s multi-tiered approach to vaccinating , educating , and protecting our community and beyond
By : Deb O ' Reilly
GMercyU Distributes Vaccinations On Campus
A welcome relief to many , GMercyU was able to secure a supply of the two-dose Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and hosted convenient vaccination PODs ( Point of Distribution ) on campus this spring for our community . PODs have been open to GMercyU students , faculty , staff , friends , and family .
The first POD took place on May 10 in The Griffin Complex on our main campus , with a follow-up POD for the second dose in June . Members of the GMercyU Community , including Nursing faculty and our members of our Health and Wellness Center , served as volunteers to facilitate the smooth administration of the vaccine .
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Additional PODs for the first and second doses have taken place in May and June . More vaccination opportunities , on and off campus , will be offered throughout the summer session .
Prior to hosting PODs on campus , Public Safety helped disseminate details on available vaccination appointments for faculty and staff at local pharmacies . To date , GMercyU has assisted more than 600 community members with vaccinations .
Vaccination Requirements for the Fall
As a Mercy institution of higher education , GMercyU is committed to making evidence-based decisions that are consistent with the best available information from the Centers for Disease Control . The science around the COVID-19 vaccine indicates that it is a safe and effective way to help prevent the spread of the virus . Thus , in an effort to protect our community this fall , all students , faculty , and staff are required to be vaccinated by the start of school in August . Exemptions for religious or medical reasons only will be accepted .
“ Our priority continues to be the health and safety of our campus community . And our Mercy values call on all of us to consider the Common Good when making decisions ,” President Deanne D ’ Emilio , JD said in a message to students this April about the fall vaccination requirement .
Students , faculty , and staff have been encouraged to take advantage of
GMercyU ’ s free vaccination PODs this spring . The University hopes to host more this summer .
For more information , visit gmercyu . edu / covid-19 .
ABSN Students Assist With Vaccinations at St . Mary ’ s Medical Center
In addition to GMercyU ’ s efforts to vaccinate our community , a group of GMercyU Accelerated Bachelor of Nursing seniors assisted St . Mary ’ s Medical Center in their COVID-19 vaccination efforts , beginning in February with senior citizen patients . The partnership continued throughout April as Saint Mary ’ s vaccination schedule opened up .
“ The best part was seeing how excited the seniors were to receive their vaccinations ,” said ABSN student Michael Paoline . “ It was pleasing to
ABSN students ( L . to R .) Mary Margaret Okonski , Brian Sequeira , Michael Paoline and Khusbu Patel participated in a COVID