Time slots were made available for West Virginia University’s Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Tuesday, April 6. The University’s clinic for the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine will be held on Thursday, April 8. Both clinics will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Student Recreation Center. 

The Pfizer vaccine requires a second dose, which will be administered at the WVU vaccine clinic on Tuesday, April 27. The Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine requires only a single shot. 

Instructions for creating a profile in the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) and scheduling your first-dose appointment are available on the Return to Campus website.

Students and employees who completed a prior WVU questionnaire do not need to complete a new survey. All appointments will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

WVU strongly recommends all students and employees be vaccinated for COVID-19, and those administering vaccines at the Student Rec Center can also answer any questions you may have during your appointment.

Senior journalism student Kiersten Lindkvist received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine last Wednesday, March 31, at the Student Rec Center.

According to Lindkvist, the wait time for her vaccination was about twenty minutes from her originally scheduled appointment time. There are ten lanes of pre-registration where the technicians check ID, approve appointment time, and run through the procedure with individuals before they move to their vaccination spot.

There are around forty chairs set up in rows, and around fifteen technicians administering vaccines. Following vaccination, individuals can remain seated for fifteen to twenty minutes to monitor symptoms for any allergic reactions. 

Students do not need to be a West Virginia resident to receive the vaccine, and there is no cost or need for proof of insurance.

“I think it's really great that the university is taking measures to protect their students," Lindkvist said, "especially those like myself who have pre-existing health conditions and who would be at further risk of COVID complications.” 

WVU President E. Gordon Gee emphasized the importance of vaccination in the Spring State of the University address. 

“We really encourage everyone to take vaccinations, and I think that it is good community service," Gee said. "The more people are vaccinated, the more likely that we will be able to return to ‘normal’. We have not come to the conclusion that students will need to be vaccinated to return in the fall."

Senior broadcast journalism student Irelend Viscount was hesitant at first, but also signed up to be vaccinated last Wednesday.

“I chose to get vaccinated because I wanted to do my part in keeping everyone safe," Viscount said. "At first, I didn’t want it. I never even get the flu shot. I wasn't going to get the vaccine, but if getting the vaccine can keep the people around me safe then that’s what I was going to do." 

An open letter from Clay Marsh, the vice president and executive dean of West Virginia University Health Sciences, sent on Wednesday emphasized the benefits of receiving a vaccination to students.

“Even if you have previously tested positive for COVID-19, you should get the vaccine to add an extra layer of protection against re-infection,” said Marsh. “To keep variants from spreading, we must increase the number of people who have immunity to them. The sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner we will have a measure of safety and be able to resume learning, social and travel experiences that resemble normalcy.” 

The University’s COVID-19 Vaccine Communications Team said in an email sent out to students, “If you know someone that has not previously completed a WVU questionnaire but would like to receive a vaccine from the University this semester, they still may do so at go.wvu.edu/covid-vaccine-survey.”