The URI encourages students to be vaccinated after the COVID-19 mutant is found on campus

“To get back to the almost normal fall semester, a vaccinated community is essential.” Read emailStudents and employees are also required to continue to participate in biweekly surveillance tests regardless of vaccination status.

The news looks like this Other universities Students are required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine before the fall semester. Rhode Island-based schools Brown University and Roger Williams University, And Boston University, Northeastern, and Russell, Massachusetts.

The URI has not announced requirements and there are no other public institutions such as Rhode Island Community College or Rhode Island College.

And while traditional college students are the least vaccinated group in the state, most college students qualified on Rhode Island this week.

For Alison Blattner, a graduate student in URI’s Department of Political Science, campus students aren’t hesitant to get vaccinated, but making an appointment on Rhode Island was a logistic nightmare.

“Rhode Island is very slow to deploy compared to other states, so for a while [our age bracket] You may not be eligible until May or June. in the meantime, [some students] I was eligible for weeks or more in places like New York, “said Bratner, who said he received his first dose last Friday.

She has to quarantine when many out-of-state students don’t want to go home for the vaccine and endanger themselves while traveling or return to the URI if they go to a high-risk state. Said.

“Actually, it would be faster to wait until the class ends on the 26th and then go home and get vaccinated there.” Previous press release She said there were no plans to make the vaccine available on campus. She said it caused many students to “just wait.”

The university said on Wednesday that students leaving the URI could receive their first dose at the clinic this weekend and a second dose in their home state.

Brigitte Murphy, a junior business major, said students are feeling the urgency to actually get vaccinated as face-to-face lessons will be fully resumed this fall.

“School is almost over and I can’t take a second dose for another month,” Murphy says. Murphy said most students must leave their homes by May 8. Taking a second dose at home on the appropriate day can further complicate the application for shots.

But she said she was hesitant to get vaccinated. “Not” on the URI campus.

Rhode Island also continues to detect some SARS-CoV-2 mutants of concern, which can spread more rapidly and cause serious illness. However, Rhode Island sequences only some of the weekly positive COVID-19 cases to screen for SARS-CoV-2 concerned and interested mutants. As of Wednesday afternoon, the state reported 197 cases of the first coronavirus mutant identified in the United Kingdom. This is an increase from 72 cases of variants. Reported at the beginning of April..

by URI COVID-19 data trackerThe university conducted a total of 4,155 tests between April 14th and April 21st, and identified 11 positive cases with a test positive rate of 0.46%. Since January 1, a total of 1,288 positive cases have been identified through university testing programs, most of them found in students living on and off campus.

However, it is unknown how many variants were detected at the university. “In order to follow the appropriate protocols set by the state, the university is asking the Ministry of Health questions about the type of variant, the number of cases of the variant, and other specific questions,” the university said when asked to comment. Said in a statement.

Dr. Christopher Nasin, medical director at URI Health Services, said that the coronavirus variant wasn’t unexpected, but “keeping on wearing a mask when you’re in a public place can help you and others. It emphasizes why protection is so important. Around others who do not live together, wash their hands frequently, participate in biweekly surveillance tests, self-monitor their symptoms, and vaccinate. I have received. “

You can access Alexa Gagosz at the following URL: [email protected].. Follow her on Twitter @alexagagosz..