SUNY To Offer Coronavirus Vaccines To On-Campus Students

NEW YORK — The State University of New York system will be offering to vaccinate residential students prior to the end of the spring semester.

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras announced Tuesday that the system has secured its first reserved shipment of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to be used to inoculate students living on campus before they leave for summer break.

More than 18,000 J&J vaccines are being distributed to 34 SUNY campuses, according to a news release. SUNY is also working with the state to secure additional doses that will be reserved specifically for SUNY residential students.

Officials said, because the J&J vaccine requires just one dose, tens of thousands of on-campus students scheduled to finish the semester in early May can get their one shot without having to wait three or four weeks for a second dose.

Malatras said that giving residential students the one-shot option helps clear a crucial logistical hurdle in the race to get people fully vaccinated before they leave campus and return to their hometowns.

"We strongly encourage all students to schedule their appointments as soon as they can," he said, "to do their part in protecting themselves, their families and their communities."

The effort is also designed to help spread the word about the many benefits of the coronavirus vaccines, Malatras said.

More than 350,000 students are receiving email messages to remind them of their eligibility, give them reliable facts about the vaccines and provide directions for scheduling an appointment. The age to get vaccinated dropped in New York Tuesday to 16 and up.

SUNY is also inviting students to share their reasons for getting vaccinated on social media with a photo or short video as part of the #ItsYourTurn and #KnowYourVax education campaigns to make sure all students get vaccinated.

"Our students have been unsung heroes since the beginning of this health crisis," Malatras said, "and with the pandemic's finish line firmly in sight, we expect them to play a pivotal role in finally putting COVID-19 behind us."

SUNY currently houses 44 state and county-run vaccination sites on 36 campuses. These sites have administered more than 900,000 vaccines since December, with approximately 17,000 vaccines administered each day as allotment continues to grow.