First, second, and boosters
As communities across the world continue to battle the pandemic, the University of Regina has been doing its part to help the students and faculty stay as safe as they can. The nursing faculty runs the Student Wellness Centre at the university. The centre has been responsible for operating the vaccine clinics for students, faculty, and immediate family. The clinics are located in the Research and Innovation Centre. People can receive their first, second, or booster dose at the clinic. However, they cannot vaccinate between the ages of five and eleven because they do not have child vaccine doses.
The clinics started last summer and ran weekly into the fall but demand dropped, and they halted operations for a while. When it became evident that people would need booster shots, the university approached the Student Wellness Center again. They began operating the clinics at the beginning of the month and planned to have one every week in January. “The idea was we would have one every week in January, but there seems to still be some demand. So we’re starting to look at February and thinking that one through. So it’s really kind of demand based,” said Maureen Klenk, associate dean of the Student Wellness Centre.
The clinic is only open to students, faculty, and dependent family members, and there are no plans to open it to the public. Emails are routinely sent out with information to everyone eligible to utilize the clinic. They include information such as dates, times, and the link for their online booking system, which has created a relatively smooth experience at the clinic by reducing lines, as you need to book an appointment to receive your shot.
“We send out an email, I try and encourage the email to be sent to all the student outlets first, so students have the first opportunity to sign up for online booking, and then about twenty-four hours later, the email goes out to faculty and staff to sign up, and the link is very clear in the email where you need to sign up and what you need to do. Everybody’s been telling us that it’s been really easy,” Klenk said.
“I just really, as a healthcare provider, want to stress the importance of getting vaccinated and staying safe, it is one way in this strange world that we’re living in right now that we can be as safe as we possibly can be. The evidence is there for a booster; please look at the scientific evidence and not just Facebook or TikTok, and really consider getting vaccinated as quick as possible. We do everything we possibly can to get you in as quick as possible, out as quick as possible and make it as good an experience as we possibly can,” Klenk said when asked about how the clinics have been going and what she wants students to know when it comes to looking after their health.
The University of Regina is also one of the locations in the city where any member of the general population can pick up rapid tests. The rapid tests are not part of the vaccine clinic but can be picked up in the Campus Security office right across from the clinics in the Research and Innovation Centre. People can pick the kits up at any time between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday while supplies last. There is a limit of one kit per person, and each kit has five tests.
The vaccine clinics have been operating relatively smoothly. Thanks to the access to rapid tests, the University of Regina has provided plenty of opportunities for students to protect themselves from COVID-19. The best thing to do if you’re looking to get your shot is check your student email and keep an eye out on the university website and social media for any new information about services being offered at the school.
