University to increase distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to students starting next week, prioritizing those in on-campus housing

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Daily file photo by Joshua Hoffman

The University expects to offer 600 first doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines next week.

Yunkyo Kim, Campus Editor

Northwestern’s vaccine clinics will start prioritizing students starting next week but do not have enough vaccine supply for every student with need, Luke Figora, vice president for operations, announced in a Friday University release. 

The University expects to offer 600 first doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines next week, the email stated, and will invite students directly to vaccination events based on participation levels in on-campus testing. 

Furthermore, starting next Monday, NU will send vaccine invitations to students who are living in on-campus housing and registered for in-person classes. 

“We will then invite undergraduate and graduate students based on their engagement level on campus, prioritizing those who have been the most actively engaged,” Figora wrote. 

The email reaches the NU community as the Illinois Department of Public Health announced a state-wide mass vaccination program to encourage public and private university students to receive COVID-19 vaccines. The initiative comes after reports that residents in their 20s have seen the highest COVID-19 infections in the state throughout April. 

Students have the option to partake in the state program, and the University has also established a webpage to notify students of these mass vaccination events. Additionally, NU will continue to work to distribute student vaccines in the coming weeks, Figora wrote in the release.

“If you are not invited to a Northwestern vaccination event next week,” Figora wrote, “we ask you to be patient and await an invitation in the coming weeks as supply continues to increase.”

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