On April 12, all UO students and employees became eligible to register for the COVID-19 vaccine through university-run clinics. The university will hold the clinics at Autzen Stadium starting April 21 to administer the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, with second doses beginning May 12. Over 4,000 students and employees have signed up for appointments thus far.

Logistics for these clinics will look similar to those of Lane County Public Health, with one key difference — student employees. The university has hired a team of students to help vaccination patients throughout spring term. 
“The university is choosing to use student employees because these events have significant staffing needs that cannot be met by existing staff,” UO spokesperson Saul Hubbard said. 

UO recruited student team members and team leaders to help set up clinics, check in vaccine recipients and enforce safety policies. UO will pay them between $12 and $14 per hour for shift leaders, according to the posting on Handshake. 

“This is an opportunity to provide paid work to our students, as we have done with our MAP COVID-19 testing program,” Hubbard said.

Over 350 people have applied for the position since the deadline passed last week.

“I think this is a great opportunity for us to help heal the community,” said Emma Brenner, a UO junior applying for the position. “I’m glad they’re giving students the chance to play a role in this.”

Through the Federal Vaccine Program, Albertsons pharmacy technicians will ultimately be the ones administering the doses, while UO students will provide general assistance. 

“Student employees will also have opportunities to staff and support upcoming Lane County vaccine clinics, which have been primarily staffed for the last three months by volunteers,” Hubbard said. 

Vaccination appointments through the university filled up less than a week after registration opened. Students and staff who missed out on registering can put their names on a waitlist to be notified when additional appointments open up and when end-of-day doses become available. 

For now, only students and staff with appointments can get vaccinated through UO’s clinics, but all Lane County residents will be eligible for the vaccine through LCPH starting April 19. 
“If you have not been eligible before that date, it’s important to understand how you can get a vaccine in Lane County, and the opportunities are many, thankfully,” said Lane County Public Health spokesperson Jason Davis. 
Students and staff can still make an appointment through the LCPH website. LCPH encouraged  students who could not get slots in the UO clinic to use this resource. UO’s dose allocation comes from the Federal Pharmacy Program, so these clinics will not take away from Lane County’s state allocation, Davis said.

Other than the source of the doses and the UO’s independent staffing, the university has taken many elements of these clinics from the ones already up and running. Lane County will continue to run clinics on the weekend at Autzen Stadium, with UO clinics taking place during the week.