DePaul hosts vaccine clinic on-campus

In partnership with Michigan Avenue Immediate Care, DePaul’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic is administering the Moderna vaccine to students, faculty and staff for four days from April 27-30 with each day including around 120 students, staff and faculty registered for the vaccine. 

The clinic will be open from 4 – 8 p.m. in the Lincoln Park Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave. There are no residency restrictions. The vaccine can only be given to individuals ages 18 and over. The clinic will open again from May 25-28 for people to receive their second dose. 

If people have received their first Moderna dose elsewhere, they can get their second shot from the clinic as long as it is one month apart from their first dose. 

Appointments are staggered five minutes apart to ensure physical distancing as to not overwhelm the two vaccinators. 

DePaul is among three Chicago-area universities to require students to be fully vaccinated come fall quarter. There is currently no statewide policy regarding college student vaccinations, although the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has hosted mass vaccinations through their “College Vaccination Days.”

DePaul has yet to decide if a vaccination pass will be required for students to present when coming back to campus in the fall. As of now, students need to upload a picture of their vaccination cards to Campus Connect for proof of immunization

DePaul hasn’t said if there will be consequences for not receiving the COVID vaccine, although students may be prevented from registering for future terms.

DePaul is waiting for guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Chicago Department of Public Health on the validity of foreign COVID-19 vaccines and immunization, according to Cheryl Hover, DePaul’s Assistant Director of Emergency Management. So far, the CDC has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for distribution in the United States. 

DePaul freshman Abigail Rodriguez feels “accomplished” after receiving her first dose, especially after struggling to find a vaccine appointment close to her apartment. 

“One of my roommate’s parents passed away because of COVID recently, so I’ve been really careful about COVID,” Rodriguez said.

Header image: Junior Kafwia Robinson receiving the Moderna shot by vaccinator Josh Merok.