GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University and a local pharmacy teamed to support the health and well-being of students and employees Thursday, April 8, with a coronavirus vaccination clinic on the Greeneville campus.
Left to right, Doug Jones, vice president of athletics and university initiatives; Bobby Clarkston, athletic academic adviser; and Dom Donnelly, assistant athletic director for communications, show their cards after being vaccinated at the clinic.
The convenient event, held in the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center, was open to students, faculty and staff who wanted to receive their vaccination. Many availed themselves of the opportunity to receive the vaccine when they were not in class or busy with another obligation.
Corley’s Pharmacy Solutions provided the Janssen vaccine, a product of Johnson & Johnson, and coordinated the clinic. Janssen is a single-dose vaccine, and Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president, said that was an excellent solution for students.
“Our residential students will return home within the next 30 days, and those who were able to receive their vaccination today will not have to find another place to receive it,” Dr. Hummel said. “This vaccination will start giving them protection while they are still on campus. Not only are they taking care of their own health, they are also being conscientious of others around them on campus, in the community and at home. Receiving the single-dose vaccine now ensures they will return to campus in the fall fully vaccinated. This vaccination drive is a critical step in our return to more normal operations.”
The pharmacy, owned by Dr. Alan Corley, who also serves on the Tusculum Board of Trustees, has been actively involved in vaccinating people in Greene County.
“We are happy to help the students, as well as the faculty and staff, receive their vaccinations, and it is even nicer we were able to do it a short distance from their residence hall or office,” Dr. Corley said. “The availability of a vaccine provides a wonderful method for people who are inoculated to stay healthy so they can proceed with their lives with less risk of contracting a potentially fatal illness.”
Nicole Bailey, left, is vaccinated by Harley Smith, a junior Bachelor of Science in nursing major at Tusculum.
Nicole Bailey, a freshman majoring in visual communications, said she decided to be vaccinated so she could prevent others from contracting the coronavirus and eventually take trips, participate in activities with multiple people and see family members from other states. The coronavirus has interfered with those activities, she said.
Seated during the required 15-minute waiting period afterward, Bailey said the vaccination process went well for her.
“It was good,” she said. “It was quick.”
Vaccinations were performed by students from Tusculum’s College of Nursing and East Tennessee State University’s Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy.
Tusculum is considering a second on-campus vaccination clinic before the end of the academic year for those who were unable to attend Thursday’s event. The university has also advised Tusculum family members of other locations where they can receive their vaccination.
The vaccination event is the newest measure the university has taken to help Tusculum family members stay as safe as possible during these unprecedented times. Tusculum adopted a detailed plan that established protocols and procedures designed to lessen the risk of infection.
These included well-known practices such as face coverings, physical distancing and hand washing but also reduction in the density in residence halls, new approaches in the cafeteria, the spraying of classrooms and increased use of technology, such as Zoom. These protocols and procedures enabled Tusculum to resume in-person classes and on-campus living.
For more information about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.