CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Penn State Lehigh Valley (PSU-LV) will partner with Lehigh Valley Health Network to host two COVID-19 vaccination clinics for the campus community on Monday, Sept. 20, and Monday, Oct. 11.
The clinics are open to all students, faculty and staff members, as well as any family members ages 12 and older.
Both clinics will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room 135 (signage will be posted). At the Sept. 20 clinic, attendees can receive the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, then return on Oct. 11 to receive their second dose. Students will receive a $5 gift certificate to the campus dining hall after each vaccine dose. Anyone under the age of 18 will need to be accompanied by a parent/guardian in order to receive the vaccination.
According to the most recently available numbers, 89% of campus employees are now fully vaccinated, while 55.5% of the student population have received their shots. With more students continuing to upload their proof of vaccination each day, the actual vaccination rates on campus may be higher.
“The more students we get vaccinated on campus, the better chance we have of keeping our campus community safe,” said PSU-LV Director of Student Services and Engagement Tom Dubreuil, the campus’ designated pandemic safety officer. “With most of our students living at home, we thought we should also offer the vaccine to family members, lessening the chance that students could be accidentally exposed to COVID in the home if all members of their household are vaccinated.”
In addition, both clinic sessions will be offering second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for those who received their first dose elsewhere. Also, Pfizer and Moderna booster shots will be available for immunocompromised individuals who meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
To register for the clinics, attendees can fill out a form here. There, they can also download and print two additional forms: a consent for vaccination form, which must be signed and brought to the clinic, and an Emergency Use Authorization form for review prior to vaccination.
Clinic walk-ins also will be accepted.
So far, the campus’ response to the vaccine clinics has been encouraging, Dubreuil said.
“The students I have spoken to have responded positively and said they are signing up. And faculty and staff all seem pleased that we are offering this opportunity on campus and are encouraging students to get vaccinated,” he said. “In addition to the obvious positives about having a safe campus, by getting vaccinated, students will not have to deal with the weekly testing mandated for those that are unvaccinated. Our students are very busy with classwork and activities, and many have jobs. By being vaccinated, completing their weekly testing would be one less thing they need to worry about.”
For additional information regarding the vaccine clinics, contact Dubreuil at trd14@psu.edu. For more on campus information and requirements related to COVID-19, visit https://lehighvalley.psu.edu/covid.