SXU Health Center Talks COVID-19 Vaccine Plans

With the more widespread usage/authorization of the two different COVID-19 vaccines, several of the biggest questions many people are asking where and when they can get vaccinated. Luckily for eligible faculty, students, and staff at Saint Xavier University, the SXU Health Center is a vaccination site. 

While the news of the COVID-19 vaccine being available to the general public is good, one of the biggest hurdles many are facing is that the demands have outpaced the rate at which pharmaceutical companies like Moderna and Pfizer are able to make the vaccine. Because of this scarcity, states like Illinois have put into place tiered plans as to when certain people can get vaccinated. Regarding the university’s plans for distributing the COVID-19 vaccine, Director Kathryn Schlee from the university’s Health Center gave some answers on the topic.

Schlee began by saying, “The Saint Xavier University (SXU) Health Center has received a limited supply of the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines are distributed by the federal government and then by local health departments. The Health Center needed to be approved as a vaccination site before it received the vaccine.” 

She continued, “On January 25, 2021, the Health Center received 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine, and vaccination distribution began January 26. The Health Center hopes to have a steady supply to vaccinate as many people as possible. Still, it is ultimately dependent on the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the number of doses they allocate to the Health Center per week.”

As for how individuals will be able to receive vaccines, Schlee mentioned, “The Health Center will be administering vaccines to those who qualify under the State of Illinois COVID19 Vaccination Plan. Appointments will be made in groups of 10, as there are [ten] doses in a vial, and doses expire six hours after being punctured. The Health Center will keep a waitlist to prevent vaccines going to waste in case there are no-shows or cancellations.”

She then added, “Currently, Illinois is offering vaccines to those who fall into Phases 1a or 1b. Phase 1a is comprised of health care providers and long-term care facility residents, and Phase 1b is comprised of a larger group of people and include those aged 65 and older, first responders, grocery store workers, public transit workers, daycare workers, Pre-K through 12th -grade workers and shelter/adult daycare workers.

Illinois expects to be in Phase 1b until the end of March. The full list may be seen in the Illinois COVID-19 Vaccination Plan.”

“When the Health Center received its first small shipment, vaccines were offered to students, faculty, and staff who fell into the Phase 1a category, such as nursing students and communication sciences and disorders students.”  “Those who qualify and are interested in an appointment may send an email to healthcenter@sxu.edu from their SXU email account and include their name, phone number, and reason for seeking the vaccine (e.g., working at a grocery store or working as a teacher’s aide). Students should bring their work IDs to appointments.”

Schlee detailed the process of coming in to receive a vaccine by saying, “Those who receive the vaccine from the Health Center will be asked to fill out a simple questionnaire upon arrival and discuss answers with the provider. After the vaccine is given, patients are asked to wait in the room for 15 minutes. There is a very rare chance of having a severe allergic reaction with the Moderna vaccine (2.5 cases per million distributed).

Those with a history of a severe allergic reaction may be asked to wait for 30 minutes. The Moderna vaccine is a two-dose series, so patients should make appointments for their second doses before leaving.

The vaccine is provided by the state and is free [of cost], but all patients should bring insurance cards as the Health Center will attempt to bill an administration fee to cover costs. However, if patients do not have insurance or if they are out-of-network, there is no fee.”

Director Schlee reassured those who are worried about the vaccine that “COVID-19 vaccines are safe and … be effective against mild and moderate COVID-19 illness and have also been shown to prevent hospital admission and death from COVID-19. The Health Center encourages the SXU community to read reputable websites about the COVID-19 vaccine, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Vaccine website or the CDPH COVID-19 Vaccine website. It is also recommended to ask a primary care provider or the nurse practitioners at the SXU Health Center questions related to the vaccine.”

She then added that “The Health Center is passionate about getting everyone vaccinated. Those who qualify under Phase 1B who don’t live near campus or do not want to come to the Health Center for the vaccine may consider numerous other locations that are currently providing the vaccine. [Many of these options include] Walgreens, Jewel-Osco, HyVee, Kroger, Mariano’s, and Walmart, along with 12 state-supported vaccine sites.

The city of Chicago has also partnered with Zocdoc to help people make COVID-19 vaccine appointments.”

When it came to the topic of vaccination mandates, Schlee said this, “The two COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Until any of the COVID-19 vaccines gain full approval by the FDA, they will not be mandated.

At this time, there are no plans to require the COVID-19 vaccine for students. However, we hope that as the phases of vaccination open up and the vaccine becomes more widely available, most of our students and staff will want to become vaccinated.”

The last thing Director Schlee mentioned was, “Students should remember that if they do receive the vaccine, they still need to continue to wear masks and maintain regular social distancing practices. The COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to prevent illness, but scientists are still studying how well vaccines prevent people from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to others, even if those who receive it do not get sick.”

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Liam O'Connell

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