Ferris State University, in partnership with District Health Department 10, will receive 2,490 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for Ferris students, faculty and staff only. To administer as many of these doses as possible, Ferris plans to run a vaccine clinic at Jim Wink Arena of the Ewigleben Sports Complex, Monday through Thursday, beginning Monday, April 5. Patients are asked to park in Lot 20, behind the sports complex.
All appointments must be scheduled online through the Healthy Dog portal that all students, faculty and staff have access to using their Ferris login. Members of the university community can expect direct email communication regarding vaccination details, including how to schedule an appointment.
“We’re so grateful to be receiving more than 2,000 first-dose rounds of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to deliver to our students, faculty and staff. We’re further gratified by the great work, spirit of collaboration, and tremendous volunteer efforts of our faculty, staff and students to help ensure we can deliver as many vaccines as possible to members of our university community,” Ferris President David L. Eisler said. “We’re further appreciative of the great partnership we’ve had with District Health Department 10 in the work that is happening to keep our community healthy and safe.”
Seven vaccination stations will be set up in the sports complex and 14 people would receive their initial vaccination dose every 10 minutes. The planning calls for more than 84 people to be vaccinated every hour allowing for up to 588 people daily. Students, faculty and staff who receive their first vaccination dose will automatically be scheduled to receive their second dose three weeks later at the same time slot. The timing of the vaccinations provides Ferris students an opportunity to leave campus immunized, to return home safely and to have greater opportunities to safely participate in summer activities such as work and internships.
“The collaboration and hard work to make this initiative a reality wouldn’t be possible without the faculty, staff and students of the College of Health Professions, College of Pharmacy and our Birkam Health Center,” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Bobby Fleischman said. “These individuals, and so many others, are committed to the work necessary to ensure as many faculty, staff and students are vaccinated as possible during the last month of the spring semester and the academic year.”
Next week, Ferris’ normal COVID-19 asymptomatic testing schedule will be limited to Wednesday at the College of Pharmacy, in the Hagerman Pharmacy Building, to free up faculty, staff, students and other volunteers to focus on delivering as many vaccination doses as possible. Testing is conducted Wednesday from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Pharmacy Care Clinic. Individuals interested in being tested can view the available testing time slots online. Birkam Health Center will be closed to accommodate the vaccine clinic. Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should sign up for testing at Spectrum Health Center-Big Rapids.
People who have just been tested for COVID-19, including those who have tested positive or are still awaiting results, should not sign up for a vaccination appointment. Anyone who is in isolation or quarantine are also not able to schedule an appointment.
As vaccinations are available and delivered to campus, faculty, staff, students and visitors are asked to continue best safety practices to limit the spread of COVID-19, particularly during these final weeks of the 2020-21 academic year. These best practices include wearing a mask on campus, social distancing and continuing to complete the university’s COVID-19 Daily Symptom Checker.
For more information about COVID-19, visit Ferris’ coronavirus website.