Texas A&M Joins Hundreds Of Colleges In White House COVID-19 Vaccine Challenge
Building on efforts already underway to make vaccines easily available to all interested students, faculty and staff, Texas A&M University has committed to the White House and Department of Education’s COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge.
The challenge is part of a push to vaccinate as many Americans as possible against COVID-19. The goal is to have at least 70 percent of eligible Americans partially vaccinated by July 4 — as of June 15, an estimated 52.5 percent have received at least one dose. Hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States have already signed up for the challenge.
Participating institutions will focus on three key actions: making sure all students, faculty and staff know they are eligible for a vaccine and have the resources to find one, implementing a plan to vaccinate as many members of the campus community as possible, and delivering vaccine access for all.
Texas A&M already is heavily engaged in work to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and provide vaccines to the Aggie community through a public education campaign. Even though A&M’s efforts are robust, officials with the School of Public Health said all help is needed to protect people from the virus by creating an antibody response without having to experience sickness.
Student Health Services offers vaccines to students, faculty and staff at the A.P. Beutel Health Center, which has already seen 10,772 patients as of June 14. Appointments can be scheduled through the Patient Portal on the Student Health Services website. Availability changes weekly as Student Health Services receives vaccine allotments.
The Maroon Line Clinic, located at the Health Science Center, is also offering the Pfizer vaccination series to all dependents of faculty, staff and students, as well as their dependents ages 12 and older. This week’s event will offer first and second doses by appointment on Wednesday, June 16 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Appointments can be made online.
