SUNY Chancellor tours campus vaccination clinic/testing center
Vaccination/testing center is a “well-oiled machine”
Binghamton University students quickly snapped up appointments for the University’s first allotment of COVID-19 vaccines — within 10 minutes of receiving the registration link by email, 500 appointments had been scheduled. SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras visited the campus Friday to see the vaccination operation in person, calling it a “well-oiled machine.”
“I feel like we’re turning the page,” Malatras said, after watching students being vaccinated. “Our goal is to get every student vaccinated before the end of the semester through this special allocation that New York state set aside so they don’t have to worry about coming back to campus.”
Students have been anxious to become eligible for the vaccine, Malatras said, and everyone at Binghamton is stepping up to manage the process.
Joanmarie Leone, a first-year computer science major from Center Moriches, N.Y., spoke to the media after receiving the vaccine. “When I heard about the shots on campus I was very excited and eager to sign up,” she said. “It was an easy process and I’m happy to have it done here so I don’t have to worry about where to find a vaccination when I get home.”
SUNY will work with New York state to increase doses in coming weeks, Malatras added.
“The vaccine will allow us to fully open in the fall,” he said.
“We are excited to be able to offer the COVID-19 vaccine directly on campus to our student body,” said University President Harvey Stenger. “Our students have been vigilant in wearing masks and following social distancing policies, and it’s fantastic that we can offer them a convenient way to get the vaccine that they have been so patiently waiting for. And the faster we do it, the faster we get back to normal.”
“Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a priority for students who want to stay safe and get back to normal,” said Binghamton University Student Association President Khaleel James. “That students can now get the vaccine right in the University Union, at the center of campus, makes it a great option for the many waiting to be vaccinated.”
Flexibility in the University’s Surveillance Testing Center allowed for the conversion of some testing stations to vaccination stations and more vaccination stations will be added next week.