More college students will be eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccine beginning April 7. For UNC-Chapel Hill this applies to students living in congregate settings including on-campus dorms and greek life houses. It also applies to students in off-campus housing like apartment complexes and rented homes.

UNC Campus Health plans to set up a vaccination clinic at the student union as soon as the university confirms the amount of vaccine allotted for students. Vaccinations will not be required for students, faculty or staff but are encouraged by the university to be vaccinated when they are eligible. 

Some college students are already eligible for vaccines as part of Group 3. Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, said this number will grow with the expansion of Group 4.

“Starting on April 7 folks who do live in congregate settings will be eligible for these vaccines,” Cohen said. “So that does pick up a large number of our college students.”

April 7 will allow students living on campus and off campus in remote classes to be vaccinated. She said she hopes the State can open vaccinations to more adults earlier than the May 1 deadline set by President Biden.

“We want to prioritize those in congregate settings, we know that’s where the virus spreads fastest,” Cohen said.  “So that is why we’re doing that prioritization. But I don’t think there’s going to be a huge time difference between April 7 and making President Biden’s May 1 deadline and it may be possible to go even sooner than May 1. We’ll have to look at supply and demand and talk to our vaccine providers about that.”

The need for vaccinating students has been highlighted by a recent COVID-19 spike in cases at Duke University. Duke is under a stay in place order until Sunday after the university saw a spike in COVID-19 cases which administrators said was tied to fraternity recruitment events connected to the Durham Interfraternity Council. 

Vaccinating students is also a big part of why UNC is planning for a Fall 2021 semester with the goal of a full return to in person instruction. 

After a rough fall 2020 semester resulting in online instruction, UNC implemented more rigorous testing standards for the spring semester to keep cases low. This means testing twice a week for students living on campus or in an in-person class and once a week for students in the Chapel Hill area off campus. 

 

 

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