As part of its efforts to further encourage vaccination, the White House launched a COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge. The goal is for higher education institutions around the country to sign up and work on encouraging students, faculty, and staff to get vaccinated.
“President Biden wants as many Americans as possible to get vaccinated,” the announcement said. “While a significant portion of older generations have received the shot, younger Americans lag behind. It is time for younger generations to get their shot.”
The program builds on a series of efforts that President Joe Biden has implemented to combat the spread of the coronavirus. These include matching a number of high-enrollment community colleges with partners in the federal pharmacy program; supporting pop-up vaccination clinics and mobile units; educating underserved communities about the vaccine; and increasing the availability of the vaccine in rural areas.
It also works towards Biden’s goal of having at least 70 percent of adults in the US vaccinated with at least one dose by July 4.
Vaccinating Campus Communities
So far, around 250 colleges and universities have signed up for the program.
All of the Michigan public universities have signed up and w/ @MASUmichigan are supporting the White House and Dept. of Education's COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge. More from @oaklandu website: https://t.co/2yeK7QMzu5 #COVIDCollegeChallenge #WeCanDoThis @WhiteHouse @usedgov https://t.co/5qmng3BeQ1
— Brian Bierley (@brianbierley) June 3, 2021
The institutions participating in the challenge must commit to fulfilling three key actions: engaging with all the members of their community to ensure that everyone knows they are eligible for a vaccine; organizing vaccine efforts and making a plan to have as many members vaccinated as possible; and making the vaccine accessible by bringing it on-site, where members usually congregate.
“Ensuring that young people join their parents and grandparents and get vaccinated will not only keep them safe, but it will also protect their families and communities by reducing the risk of giving the virus to someone else,” the White House explained.